When is a Pencil Skirt not a Pencil Skirt?

The answer?  When it's a pencil dress!

 



 

The last time I was in Berkeley, I spent a fair amount of time at one of my favorite fabric stores: Stonemountain and Daughter.  One of the things I'd been searching for was a lemon-print fabric with a white background to create a Kate Spade-inspired dress which I'd pinned.  Well, no luck with the lemons, but as I was perusing the cotton novelty prints, I spied this pencil fabric.  I thought it would make an adorable fit and flare dress.  I also figured that my daughter, the previously mentioned not-her-real-name Mehetabel, would enjoy such a dress, being a high school teacher and all.  I could picture her wearing it with a black patent belt and shoes, and a black cardigan. 

 

When I checked in with Mehetabel, she saw the fabric, expressed delight, and asked if by any chance I'd consider making a dress for her!  So, with all systems go, I headed home to work on the dress.

 

 

For the pattern, I used Simplicity 2444.  I've made this dress (or used the bodice) about seven times I think.  Fitting issues were worked out long ago, so I was able to get right to the fun part. 

 

To give the fabric some heft as well as to stave off wrinkles and provide opacity, I underlined each piece with poly/cotton broadcloth.  In hindsight, I wish I had used batiste, but the broadcloth was what I had on hand.  After pre-treating the fabric, I didn't have enough to cut out the dress on the straight-of-grain.  We are a tall people; considerable length had been added to the bodice and skirt pattern pieces.  So, I cut the pieces on the cross-grain which allowed me to cut the skirt front on the center fold instead of in two pieces.  The underlining was cut on the straight-of-grain, and the combo of that with the cross-grain fashion fabric made it quite sturdy. 

 

This pattern, very popular in the blogosphere, sews up quickly and easily.  As I have done in the past, I made a one-piece facing (armscye and neckline) for the front and one for the back which were sewn in place and then hand-stitched to the underlining.  For the hem, I used white bias tape to finish it and hand-sewed it to the underlining.  For the closure, I used an invisible zipper.

 

Mehetabel tried on the dress the day before yesterday and loved it!  She wore it to work the next day.  The photo, below, is in her classroom.  She received many compliments and some pencil-pun comments as well (you look sharp; you're making a fine point..., etc.).

To confess, this is not the first time Mehetabel and I have collaborated on a themed dress.  At her last school (in another state), the mascot was a pirate, in honor of Sir Francis Drake.  We found pirate ship fabric on www.fabric.com, and a dress was born (New Look 6910).  Here she is:

 

 

Finally, I've found yet another themed fabric that I think will make a great dress.  This trimester, Mehetabel, a special education teacher, is also co-teaching freshman science.  I found this fabric at Mill End in the Portland, Oregon area.  I'd better get cracking on this dress because school ends soon!