Lorelei Women's Dress Blog Tour

I am excited to be a part of the E-beth Designs blog tour for the new Lorelei Women's Dress!  I have made 3 Lorelei's so far, 2 in testing and another just because I love the pattern.  Let's get up-close and personal about the Lorelei...

This is an elegant, versatile pattern with a huge range of size options.  I love that it looks as good on a size 20 as it does on 00.  Did you see that Fenna even made one that fits at 9 months pregnant?!  Bodice pieces are customized to each size and cup size A-DD. It's refreshing to have a pattern this well-fitted just as it's written.  Another special bonus is the "layer" printing option. You can select which size to print = no confusion of which line to cut, or select which 2 sizes you need for easy grading between body sizes. 

I learned a few things while testing and sewing the Lorelei dress. Lesson  #1 - Make a muslin.  I was between 18 and 20, so the first muslin was a size 20DD.  This picture shows I needed to lower the bust apex dart, move it in and narrow the bodice.  Elizabeth suggested sewing down a size and this fixed all the problems!  The next 18DD fit great.  To make a muslin bodice, no facings, linings or zipper are needed.  I even chopped off the skirt at 12" to make my Lorelei a peplum top - another great way to save fabric!  Simply sew and pin where the zipper would be and make any adjustments from there.  This muslin fabric was a $1 thrifted bedsheet. I ended up finishing it into a "wearable" muslin and even paired it with a Jocole pencil skirt for my Easter outfit. 

Once you have a good-fitting muslin, there is no need to worry while cutting into your fashion fabric.  For my second Lorelei, I used mini-gingham shirting and black broadcloth from my stash.  (Did I mention that I live 2 1/2 hours from a Wal-Mart or fabric store?!)  I cut the upper 3" off the skirt to make a faux-belt in black fabric, then re-attached it to the main skirt gingham fabric.  I also hemmed it shorter, to fall at the knee.  Lesson #2 - Learning to use my blind-hem stitch.  I've avoided this one out of fear, but with a little practice, it turned out nicely.  I found that a longer stitch length helped smooth out the stitch on my machine.  Don't fear, just practice before sewing on your dress.

The dress is fully-lined and has an attached pettiskirt, so it's got a vintage feel.  I may use less tulle next time so I'm not quite such a wide-load, but I love the feminine feel of a full skirt!

Lesson #3- Learning to use a narrow-hem foot.  I wanted another peplum top for the blog tour, so I made a dressy little top from some semi-sheer poly from my stash.  I've found it helpful to slow down when sewing slippery fabrics and my machine has Turtle-speed which works great.  Also be sure to use a fine needle when sewing light-weight fashion fabrics.  Lorelei #3 came together in about 4 hours.  Next time, I'll cut my peplum skirt lining 2" shorter than my main skirting - my lining is peeking out in a few photos.  I wasn't following the tutorial on this one and inserted the zipper below the yoke, so I added a hook closure at the top.  The narrow-hem foot was a God-send for this fabric!  It curls your fabric into a narrow hem - no ironing or pinning!  I wish I had tried it sooner.  My newer Janome didn't come with this attachment, but a generic vintage low-shank attachment worked just fine.

Do you have any sewing tips or tricks that you wish you had tried sooner?  If so, I'd love to hear them! 

Thanks for joining me on the Lorelei blog tour.  Please visit the other blogs & shops participating.  I'd love to have you join my Mama Lusco Handmade FB page or follow the free tutorials I post over on the Mama Lusco Pinterest page.   

June 2nd: Fabulous Home-Sewn & Friends Stitched Together
June 3rd: Lulu & Celeste & Mimi’s Mom
June 4th: Sew Starly & Mama Lusco
June 5th: PiePie Designs, Two Novembers, & Friends Stitched Together
June 6th: Crafty Biggers, Lady and The Gents, & Growing Family

Elizabeth is doing a discount of $3.00 off the Lorelei Women’s Dress Pattern in her Pattern Shop using coupon code: blogtour.  You can enter to win a free copy of the Lorelei Women’s Dress Pattern below (if you purchase first then win, Elizabeth will refund your money). There will be 3 winners!
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