Lively
George and Ginger has gone over the top again and we all love it!
After getting back from her runway show at New York Fashion week, Kristi is making a winter collection for us! The first pattern is the Lively top/dress.
It has a lined bodice, gathered skirt, huge bell sleeves and attractive gathered features on the bodice front and back. It really looks so intricate, but it’s surprisingly easy!
Here’s my by the book version in a Sincerely Rylee sweater knit from a Zebra box. Bodice lining and sleeves from solid double brushed poly from The Fab Clique.
I couldn’t wait to make another but I wanted to change things up a bit.
I switched out the gathered skirt for a circle skirt and added a cuff to the sleeve.
The dress is made from double brushed poly from JoAnns. I used a piece of complimenting olive rayon spandex for the cuffs and yoke pieces. It was in a scrap pack from Sincerely Rylee.
Hack Details
I always start with the circle skirt when I’m cutting my fabric because it’s easier to cut with the clean edges. Circle skirts are cut on the double fold and there’s no side seams to sew up. It will come out all one piece, with just a hole in the top for your waist.
You can make your own by taking your wait size, diving by four, drawing and circle and expanding that out by the length you need. You can also do what I did which was reach over on my side table where the circle skirt piece from my last make was still sitting there. I just keep this piece handy now. I’ve altered the pattern piece to the length I like, so it’s perfect. Since I know it fits my waist size, I know it fits any dress that hits at the waist.
Then I added cuffs. Again, I just happened to have cuffs on my table, so I lengthened them because I wanted a more prominent cuff. Had I not happened to have a piece at the ready, I would measure my wrist, divide by 2 and then measure the height I want them to hit and double that.
Cut all the other pieces per the pattern and prepare (do the bodice as per the pattern).
Then I gathered both the top and the bottom of my sleeves to make it easier to attach to the cuff. My favorite gathering method is to turn the tension up on my sewing machine, hold tight to my threads and just sew a line right along the edge of the fabric. This automatically ruffles the fabric for me. I just leave long threads at the beginning and the end in case I need to spread it out more to attach. (Check out my equipment post for more about my machines)
Here is my bell after I have gathered and I’m just about to attach to the top sleeve.
I also chose to top stitch everywhere I attached gathers for a really top notch look. This is the bell and top sleeve seam.
The next little change I made was to include elastic at the waist. Because of the weight of the skirt, I wanted to give the bodice extra support. I cut elastic to the width of the bodice plus room for over lap and then attached it in the seam when I attached the skirt. You may need to stretch a little bit but be sure to do so evenly. Otherwise you’ll get some pull lines (I unfortunately was moving too fast and got a few). I used 3/8″ elastic.
Then I attach the cuffs, hem and ta-da! Big dramatic sleeves that don’t get in the way at work!
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