Lady Bonnelia – an indie mash-up

I have one last thing to share before IPM 2015 finishes, it’s been so much fun ;o)

One of my favourite IPM weeks last year was Franken-indie, where entrants were encouraged to mix two or more patterns into one garment.  I didn’t enter last year and we don’t have that category this year, but I’ve made something anyway!

I spent most of this month playing around with knit top patterns and at some stage conceived a dress by adding the kitschy koo lady skater skirt.  So it’s part Bonnie (sleeves and back), part lady skater (skirt) and part Coppelia (neck band and wrap front drafted onto Bonnie front), with a waist band added in.  I dub thee Lady Bonnelia!  After a quick sleeveless bodice muslin I was satisfied enough to cut into my emerald snow drop jersey:

I first constructed the top as per papercut patterns faux wrap coppelia, sewing the sleeves in the flat.  It was a bit of playing about to decide if the position of the bodice and waistband was in the right place. I basted in the waistband and skirt, but shortened the waistband by 1½ inches once the weight of the skirt was on it.  I liked the look of it even higher in the front, but needed to balance that with where my swayback curves in the back.

The waist band is a double layer of jersey with lightweight fusible tricot interfacing between.  This interfacing has a 2 way stretch and I used it with the stretch widthwise to allow it to be easy enough to get it over my head but also keeps some structure and hopefully stops the length from stretching out with the weight of the skirt. I mostly constructed on my overlocker with twin stitching on the hem and sleeve hems.  I like to overlock the hem first, turn up and use my wonder clips to hold, then use woolly nylon thread in the bobbin with the twin needle.

This was the first time I had tried the bonnie flutter sleeves and they did not come out as fluttery as I expected on me.  I’m happy with them anyway, still love the little gathers on top of the sleeve head.

This may seem a little out of season for the southern hemisphere at the moment but I’m going to be packing this one in my suitcase for a little jaunt to the northern hemisphere next month!

Project summary

patterns:  Papercut patterns coppelia, bluegingerdoll bonnie, kitschy koo lady skater

fabric:  remnant warehouse emerald snow drop jersey

notions: rasant thread, fusible tricot interfacing

This one is another direct copy from my blog