Before diving in, I would like to make a disclaimer that I initially started writing this post in late 2021 when I was actively working on this dress. It's now mid-2022. I've since made the dress and am just now finishing the post, so that's why you might notice some timeline discrepancies 😬
I decided on a whim to make the Landis Bodice (& circle skirt) from Charm Patterns after seeing Melisha post her own version in beautiful brocade fabric. I immediately started looking up brocade fabric to buy. I'm getting married soon (edit: I'm married now!) and plan to have engagement photos taken on our next trip to the Dominican Republic and thought this dress would look stunning in the photoshoot, plus I can say I made the dress I'm wearing in a professional photo.
I found a beautiful brocade at Jo-Ann Fabrics online. I've never used (or heard of) brocade before so I wanted to get a feel for it in person and I fell in love. I also found a beautiful pink version of the fabric but sadly there wasn't enough yardage left on the bolt. It still blows my mind how we can get these beautiful intricate designs on our fabric and then make something wearable out of them.
I usually never do any "prep work" with any new fabric or pattern before I dive in other than looking up how to wash it and what needle to use (a great habit I know). But since I knew this dress would be for a special occasion I actually took the time to do some research only after I bought the fabric of course. I looked up some videos on how to work with brocade fabrics and watched the entire Charm Patterns tutorial for the Landis Bodice. My biggest concerns were about what types of finishings to use on the dress, since it heavily frays, and working with boning which I've never done before. I don't have a serger and I'm not a fan of zig-zag stitching garments. I've started to use french seams a lot but it's not always suitable for every fabric or garment.
When I picked up the fabric I also picked up what boning I could find at Jo-Ann which was a plastic boning, but after watching Gertie's video I decided to go with the spiral steel boning that she suggested. I purchased spiral steel boning and the bone casing from MakingItYourself on Etsy. (I'm now one month out from my trip, going into Christmas season and hoping by sheer luck I get it in time so I don't have to rush the dress).
Pre-Wash
I'm not sure why, but when looking up blogs from other sewists, I rarely if ever see them talk about pre-washing. Maybe it's just one of those things nobody talks about but everyone knows? I know the golden rule is to always pre-wash but there are some fabrics out there that really don't take well to the washer or require dry cleaning. Does that mean you need to take the fabric to the dry cleaner before you cut? Or will it not make a difference? An inquiry for another day I suppose.
Either way, I want to put it out there for anyone who is questioning. I pre-washed my fabric on a cold delicate cycle and hung it to dry. I zig-zagged the edges first to prevent fraying and I would say it worked out pretty well.
The Details
My measurements were as follows:
High Bust: 37"
Bust: 38"
Waist: 32"
Based on these measurements I went with a size 10 in both the bodice and circle skirt and an A cup. For the fabric, I went with the pattern recommendations:
Main Fabric: Sew Sweet Brocade Fabric Snow White Geometric Floral from Jo-Ann Fabrics
Content: 50% Cotton, 39% Polyester & 11% Metallic
Care: Hand wash cold, No bleach, Line dry, Cool iron reverse side
*As listed by Jo-Ann Fabrics*
Underlining: Muslin (medium weight)
Lining: Cotton
The Process
I cut out each brocade pattern piece with a pinking blade using my rotary cutter. This was suggested online for fabrics that fray a lot and was really helpful. I'm pretty impatient, so I usually don't make a muslin (who wants to cut and sew something twice?), but I tried to remind myself multiple times throughout the process to try it on and check the fit. Side note: I almost never do this because I'm so excited to see the finished product and I almost always regret it when I need to make adjustments later on. Trying to break the cycle here...
I started out making a size 10 but ended up taking in an additional 7/8" in the bodice on each side (so more like 1.75" all around) to get a snug fit, though I probably could have taken it in a smidge more. I made sure to try on the bodice before attaching it to the skirt, but ended up having to re-do the zipper a few times (once the skirt was attached) to get the fit I wanted.
Gertie's video to go along with the written instructions was super helpful. I tend to find patterns without visual instructions a bit confusing to follow, especially when I'm learning new techniques, so having the video was great. I actually felt like I knew what I was doing and she explained everything in detail. The dress came together pretty quickly once I figured out the fit. I also got a serger for Christmas so I was able to use my new serger to finish the edges, which was marvelous. I'm never going back to my pre-serger days! After attaching the bodice to the skirt, I snuggled on the couch with my pup & a good tv show and hand-sewed the lining in place.
The Result:
Wow! Wow! Wow! I absolutely love this dress and this pattern. It came out great and everyone was so impressed that I made my dress for the photo shoot. (I actually made another dress that I wore to the shoot too ☺)
Final thoughts and notes for next time
I thoroughly enjoyed making the bodice and will likely make another soon. It fit pretty well, but I think I can actually go down a size or two in the bodice since I made such an adjustment to get the right fit.
New techniques I learned:
underlining
boning
hand sewn lining
Started: Dec 2021
Completed: Jan 2022