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Vogue 7934 or: I can wear coral colours!!

Look look! Coral pinky-oranges suit me!

This photo was taken in the changing room of Blue Illusions. I’d just tried on one of their dresses and hat, and was changing back when I realised their mirror is 10 times better than mine at home. So I whipped out my phone and snapped myself in my lovely blouse, a hat from Blue Illusions collection, new trousers (not blogged about yet) and a pendant sent to me by my friend at Studio Pyraxis.

For the record, Blue Illusions is an awesome shop. They are extremely supportive of charities. I was there to see a fashion show they put on in support of Arthritis and Osteoporosis Northern Territory. YAY for Blue Illusions!.

While I’m at it, here is the dress I tried on. Dark blue rayon knit with a pintucked bodice and some pretty, frothy detail at the hem. Yummy, or yummy?

Pattern

I think it’s OOP, bought it a million years ago in Lincraft in Brisbane when visiting a friend. (Hey, this post is developing a Theme) Oh ok, I think it was only 10 yrs.

Fabric/trims/notions used

Coral, yes coral! craft cotton from Spotlight. That’s it. No zipper. Having really flexible shoulders means zippers are often not needed. Yay!

Inspiration

The fabric itself. I had it in my stash for a few months, coveting it. Eventually I settled on this pattern. I went a-hunting pattern reviews of it online and only came up with two by Nomadic Stitches. This lovely “Montreal Shirt” in white: and this equally lovely black one (Love the sleeves!). That was enough convincing!

Useful info

Corally-pink does suit me!!!

I have Kerryn at Kerryn’s Fabric World on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, to thank for that realisation. A few years ago while visiting a friend in Brisbane I got my colouring assessed by her. As a teenager I read the book Colour Me Beautiful by Carole Jackson and easily concluded I was a “Summer”. Sadly though, the simplicity of the system that made the concept of the colour system so accessible kinda avoided any oranges in the summer palette, and only one yellow, a banana yellow. So for years, just to make sure, because I look SO awful in yellow-undertoned colours, I avoided oranges and, er, yellow. And that lovely gold with a slight green undertone that I adore so much but if I ever put it near my face people start talking about calling an ambulance. Or in some instances, just going straight to the undertaker.

Anyway, so years on, Kerryn analysed my colours and taught me how to understand my colouring by using basic design principles and colour theory principles, as well as refining my colouring as being a but a medium-toned, completely cool-based summer. “Cool as a cucumber” she said 😀 As I’m a designer by trade, it all went “ping ping ping” as little lightbulbs went off in my head. I also purchased a little colour palette booklet thingy small enough to carry in my bag.

And it has coral in it! And a couple of shades of that yellow that is so cool you could perhaps consider it green. And the best bit? Well, those tones really DO suit me. It isn’t just a theory, it is a reality.

I know a lot of people object to the colour systems because to them it feels restrictive but for me it has given me more options. My colouring is such that either a colour works wonders for me, or it reeeelly doesn’t. I don’t have much wiggle-room – unless I want to look like ~~a zombie~~ death warmed up. (Following this colouring system also has the rather bizarre but welcome effect of making absolutely everything in my wardrobe co-ordinate with everything else. I’ve had that effect since I was in my teens. Saved a lot of angst really.)

Construction notes

I’m quite impressed with myself over the flat-pattern fitting I did. Not only did I need to take out the usual 5cm from the centre-back, I needed to keep the length in the front over the bust. Usually that isn’t too hard, but it was the first time I did that fitting adjustment for an empire-line that was so close-fitting. (Usually empire-lines are easy to adjust for being short with a C-cup. Just chop a cm or so off the back somewhere in the middle of the armscye. Then just shorten the hem, as there is no or only minimal shaping in the skirt.)

I did cut out a muslim, and half-heartedly sewed a few seams. Then I got bored with that so either rashly, or with great confidence in my flat-pattern-fitting skills, I just cut out the coral fabric. And it worked! YAY!!! I didn’t actually have to adjust the blouse at all, I just sewed it straight up. *impressed with myself*

Originally the plan was for white lace along the under-bust seam, as per view A, but once it was made up I liked the simplicity of the blouse combined with the eye-catching colour. I wasn’t sure if the lace would overdo it, or minimise the impact so I just left it off.

Regarding that underbust seam, I agree with Nomadic Stitches, it is placed very flatteringly, low enough to draw emphasis to the narrowness of your waist, and if you don’t have a narrow waist it would probably suggest you do, without revealing you don’t. NICE pattern!

Oh yeah, I made it that short because I didn’t have enough fabric for the long length. Works well. Although the longer length would be quite current. *ponders making another, long one*