Another Fatina dress.

Posted on Author NataliePosted in Fashion, sewing8 Replies

I’ve been sewing like a woman possessed by the ghost of a sewing machine lately! My Granma gave me her overlocker, machine and sewing cabinet along with a bunch of fabric so I haven’t really come up for air in the last fortnight. My initial priority was to sew EVERY stretch fabric into booty shorts and leggings but I’ve discovered how ridiculously expensive stretch fabric is so that project has been shelved.

The dress pattern pieces laid out, showing the side panels that are slashed diagonally at the waist.

Lincraft had a 50% off fabric sale so I scraped together some money to buy black ponte (and then went back to get some purple!) and made this dress based on the Burda Style Fatina plus pattern. I’d already cut a pair of leggings that were too small and got turned into short shorts, a second pair of leggings that were a little better (ugh I need to perfect the leggings pattern!) so there wasn’t much fabric left to work with. I decided to alter the pattern and converted the bust darts to princess seams, thus leaving me with three front panels that were much easier to accommodate on the fabric I had available. I also dropped the shoulder length for a little self-sleeve. Thanks to my home ec sewing classes and the internet for helping me out with the pattern adaptation skills!

The dress on a hanger turned inside out to show the seams overlocked in grey thread. The skirt is a lot less a-line shaped than this!

An outfit photo of me (fat and white with white hair) wearing a black sheath style dress with a sheer animal print button up blouse underneath, black tights, Docs and a human tooth necklace.

Some of the seams pucker a bit, I’m yet to figure out the best way to sew using an overlocker, but considering many off the rack clothes often have worse construction I’ll deal with it just fine. (I know people who are super picky about puckering seams but I’ve got more pressing things to worry about in my life, such as hastily sewing new clothes before my old ones fall apart.)
The back of my dress.

Ineffectually modeling my fake human teeth necklace. (Made out of paper clay and the dental records of my foes.)

The teeth necklace laid on a table. I’m thinking of selling these?

Another front view, with hands on hips.

8 comments

  1. This dress is really cool. I’m not so good at sewing (stitching on a button is the extent of it) so always admire those who can. Hope you manage to find more fabric bargains. Love the toothy necklace, too. A little macabre, a little gorgeous.

  4. Fantastic job on the dress…it fits great! I love how versatile it is/will be.

    I like the pops of animal print and human tooth necklace. Keeps it interesting against all that neutral black. The striking blond hair looks lovely, too.

  6. Sign me up for the tooth necklace! Love it! I’ve been in the dental field for 9 years. E[-:

  7. Hi Natalie, I’m a passionate sewster myself (Burdastyle hcbouma) and I have an overlocker too. The best way to use it, in my opinion (and experience), is to finish the seams before sewing. It seams a bit odd, but it works, and an advantage is that you don’t have so much mess and dust while sewing. But make sure you enlarge the marks of the matching points on the parts before you cut them off with the overlocker ;-)
    Lots of success, Hilda Bouma

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