Cue: The Knock-Off

Recently, I started a new job. Not the job I coveted, but maybe things have worked out for the best. At least for now. One of the best things is the ability to have no restrictions on what I can wear (besides thongs and shorts!). A downside of this is gives me the challenge of what to wear each day!

I purchased a dress from one of my favourite shops, Cue. The hardest thing about buying from my favourite shop is the prices. Ouch to the $229 that the dress cost me! Given my sewing mind, I realised I could do my own version of the dress for a fraction of the cost! And so my challenge was set.

The original dress has salmon pink for the bodice, and chocolate brown for the skirt. I was excited to chose my own colours for the dress, and chose a deep purple and an amazing Japanese fan print for the skirt. 

My skirt features a different style of pleating and a lower neckline. The original neckline cause irritation to my collarbone area. Spotlight, where I purchased my fabric and other bits and pieces didn't have the colour purple I wanted for the zip, so I went with pink instead for a fun detail.

When I wore the dress to work, it was with a brown skinny belt and matching kitten heels. 

Would you like to see some of the building stages? Read on!

The toile was draped on my dressmakers dummy, Bumble Bee. She is padded to my dimensions, and was purchased from the fashion school at the end of my course. Although the term 'draping' conjures images of folding and draping fabric onto the dummy to create a garment, it is not the only meaning of the term. Its a means to make patterns utilising the curves of the body that is not the same when drafting a flat pattern.

One thing that really excites me about this dress is the finishing techniques used. Thanks so the two tutorials from The Slapdash Sewist, and on from The Musings of the Dedicated Housefiancee, I made a dress with fully sewn arm holes and enclosed lining around the seam around the zip and where the bodice meets the skirt.

This is what the lining looks like on the inside. I love how it looks so much that it will feature in my next dress. It will be made from suiting material in purple and grey.

Well, that's it for now. I'm off to watch Spongebob Squarepants and Ren & Stimpy as I cut out the pieces for my next dress. 

Until next time!

Update!: The dress in Action. I wore it today, and it also happened to be a day that a Police License Plate competition I entered had their press release. I was invited along as 4 of my suggestions were chosen, and the biggest vehicle on the fleet was one of them! Woohoo! :D

Read the article on the NT Police Facebook Page here. How cool right? (the green highway patrol vehicle to the side reads: PATROLN which was one of the other 3 ;) The two not pictured are BSAFE and YDUI which will go on motorcycles (so I'm told!)