Lace Capped Dress

tuxedo jacket: express design studio // lace + plaid dress: handmade // kitten heels: qlaze

My newest creation just in time for Valentine's Day! The McCall dress I posted from Vogue Patterns has been haunting me for about six months so I finally had to sew my own version. Lucky for me, McCall's spring collection included a similar dress pattern with a contrasting bodice.

At first, I attempted to dye the lace poppy red to contrast the white but after hours in its own blood bath, it was still only cotton candy pink. The new color looks so chic with the white -- a happy accident.


I was relatively shocked how easy it is to sew lace. Sewing a stretch lace to a heavy non-stretch fabric should have met me with more challenges. My biggest feat was to overcome perfectionism. I noticed a slight unevenness in the way I had attached the top only spanning about 2". I ripped it out to fix it and then proceded to "fix" it five more times. The more I fussed, the worse it looked.

The garment is finished with a nude zipper and bias tape around the neckline. Nude trimmings work well on see-through fabrics or on garments where two colored fabrics meet. It blends into my skin tone and doesn't show against the two fabrics. Lastly, I cut out pieces of the lace and used it as applique, hand sewing it around the front bodice seam. It greats an elegant effect while hiding where the two fabrics meet. I hope you all feel as glamorous as I will on Valentine's Day!