A look at what is currently available on eBay
Sewing Alice Cullen's dress from the Twilight movie?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Alice-Cullen-Twilight-Dress-Diane-Von-Furstenberg-NWT_W0QQitemZ280295234007QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_CSA_WC_Dresses?hash=item280295234007&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
I'm really interested in sewing a dress similar to the one Alice was wearing in the movie when Bella met all of the Cullens. (Hated the movie, by the way, but love the clothes ...)
The ebay link has a photo from the movie as well as several photos of the dress by itself. It's grey silk (which I of course won't be using) and apparently has an "antique lace print" over the top layer. The neckline is square and has straps to hold it up.
Any ideas on how to make it? I've sewed a little but I've never tried to make my own pattern. Any tips on how to go about this? I'd love ideas for fabric type (especially how to get that antique lace look) and pattern construction.
Looks like Ye Olde Flapper dress variation...
There are few patterns available that have been "modernized" for current figures, so there are a couple of possibilities here. One is to make up Kwik Sew 2498, view C, and lengthen it. http://www.kwiksew.com/Catalog/PDF/2498.pdf That might be the best choice for a beginner, because you'll have good sewing directions.
Make it up in plain cotton muslin (about $2/yd, and you'll need twice the length from your armpits to your intended hemline, plus 1/4 yard). Then when you get it fitting the way you want, draw in the "panels" the dress is made of... each different fabric or treatment becomes its own panel. *Draw hash marks across the lines you've drawn, and cut out each panel. (The hash marks become "sew me to me notches" in your finished pattern.) Then add seam allowance along each cut edge -- conventionally, 5/8". Trace your panels onto your good fabric, including the notches, and then sew everything together.
The other is to wing it entirely.... measure your hips and bust and add 4" to the hips if your hips are larger than your bust, and add 2" to the chest measurement if your bust is larger than your hips.
Sew a tube of fabric that's your measured size + ease (2 or 4", as above). Then add straps over the shoulders. Get a friend to help draw in the side seams and do some fitting of the side seams so the dress has some shape to it. Then do the same draw in the panels thing as above.
The first method is a better choice if you're not flat chested, as the flapper silhouette was very boyish and flat... and I'm assuming you don't want to bind your breasts to get the proper silhouette. If you do have a perfect 1920's silhouette, you can probably manage the second method.
*I did a quick tutorial on dividing a pattern piece into panels, adding the notches and seam allowance for you at:
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/21214738
Looks like a fun project. Are you going to do the shrug, too?
As to fabric, it needs to be something with a little weight to it... I'm guessing the original was probably 4 ply silk or a heavy charmeuse. You could use a fairly heavy cotton (men's shirt weight or heavier), or a light pantsweight rayon or tencel to good advantage here if you don't feel like springing for silk.
Some laces are not at all expensive, particularly some of the machine made cluny laces -- which could be dyed to match the main garment. You could also use thin braid or heavy cord or yarn "couched" to the fabric to make your own lace designs... I'd suggest Nancy Bednar's Encyclopedia of Sewing Machine Techniques or Jane Conlin's Fine Embellishment Techniques for instruction on couching. Add a few pearls and sparklies and then cut out your embellished fabric.
Another possibly interesting choice, especially for a print, would be to get extra yardage and cut out sections about 2x as long and wide as the sections that would be lace. Hand wind some elastic thread into a bobbin and set up the machine for straight stitching. Use the quilter's instructions for "stipple quilting" and sew a stipple pattern on your fabric. Give it a good blast with the steam iron and watch the fabric draw up into a textured piece that tones with the original print, but also has a lot of texture. Then cut out your pattern pieces from the puckered fabric.
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