Wool Pull-over Gothic Fitted Dress

Not to be one-upped by myself, after making the Rapunzel Jerkin in a week, I made this dress in just two days. I had an event coming up that was expected to be unusually cold, and a desire to test out a gothic fitted dress with no closures, so I pulled out some stash wool and got to work.

The Process:

In order to make this dress in two days, it needed two things: no closures (buttons/lacing) and no seam finishes. I chose a fulled wool that would not fray so I could just sew and press the seams open. In order to get away with no closures, I chose to try a new pattern and technique. I had recently learned that some of the Herjolfsnes dress finds had pieces that were cut on the bias. Whether because they were conservatively piecing fabric, or trying to create stretch in the garment, I do not know, but it sounded like a reasonable way to get a little extra give in my dress. 

To create the new, 8 piece pattern, I took my usual 4 piece gothic fitted dress pattern (with no seam allowance) and marked approximately where I thought the additional seams should go. I cut those pieces out and marked one piece for cutting on the bias. I also chose to flatten the front bust slightly since the aggressive curve was meant for a self-supportive garment. 

I marked one of the side pieces to be cut on the bias and laid out my pattern. I added an extra 1/4" of ease to the side seams to make sure there was enough room to pull the dress on. I had to be very strategic about my cutting, but I did manage to get the whole dress out of 3yds of 60" fabric with only a little piecing on one gore. 

At this point I didn't take many progress photos because I was on a time crunch. I assembled the body of the garment, checking the fit and adjusting the font seam to my liking. I inserted the front and back gores and attached the short sleeves. I pressed all the seams open.

I hand finished the neckline and sleeves in the car on the way to the event, but I did get it finished. And while I didn't need it during the day, I was very thankful for the warmth at night! 

Final Dress:

This dress was completed primarily on a machine with hand finishes at the neck and sleeves. I will eventually go back and shorten it a little, finishing the hem by hand as well so that the dress will have all hand finishes visible from the outside. 

Extra Glamour Shots: