Now You'll Sleeeeeep.....then I'll steal your shoes

4.09.2014

Hello all. I hope you have your shoe closets locked up tight, cause I'm about to knock you out with one heck of a dress. That's right, I was not speaking in hyperbole during the last #sewdollyclackett post about hemming a poppy dress. The "Painterly Poppy Dress" is real, and it's amazing. (I'm really getting into this whole dress naming thing. Long live Dolly Clackette!)
Are you feeling woozy yet? No?  Darn!  Frog say in a ready position with the shoe boxes, I have to soften them up with a few more photographs. I know, let's pander to the pocket lovers. Back side of pocket bag matches skirt, front pocket doesn't. Ooo La, la.
This is my #sewdollyclackett dress number two, a pattern mash up of the By Hand London Anna bodice with the Christine Haynes Emery skirt.  OMG, don't these two patterns looks fabulous together. I just want to squee all over myself and make a couple more. The credit for this idea goes to Jennifer Lauren and her amazing Christmas Dress.  Upon seeing it I drooled all over the keyboard and then plotted to make one of my own.

That must have made Ann, over at Gorgeous Fabrics, spider senses tingle.  She went and posted the perfect fabric for this type of dress, a giant floral boarder print. The print starts out as kind of like a multi-colored polka dot that gradually morphs into poppies and foliage. YES, YES, YES, take my money!
Part of me wants to make a summer dress out of this right now.
If you can believe it, this was my very first border print purchase. The plan was to make the Anna/Emery combo and put the largest flowers on both the hem and top of the bodice. However my Christmas cookie addled brain neglected to realize that I'd need extra yardage to do this. It just though, "Hey 2 yards of 60" fabric is plenty for a sleeveless dress."  Yeah dumb dumb, if it's an all over print.....but you only want to use the one edge!  Past Heather, buy another yard!!!  Past Heather never listens. She probably couldn't hear me with her head buried in a cookie tin anyway. It was time for Present day Heather to put on the thinking cap and came up with a solution.

After playing around with the pattern pieces, I could see that after cutting the skirt some of the large floral area would still be left. I could also cut the bodice upside down on the print, to get some of the smaller flowers in the shoulder area. Then a few large flowers could be cut out and appliqued to the bodice.  This crazy plan might just might work!

I cut the skirt and bodice pieces as planed and then used the lighter print area for all the pieces that wouldn't show.  Except for the one side of the pocket bag, they needed to blend nicely in with the skirt. See my brain was working on that day.
After completing the rest of the dress I turned my attention to harvesting some of those large flowers. To keep the edges from fraying, I block fused the fabric before cutting. Then for added insurance I put fray check on the backside edges.
When it came time to attach the flowers on inspiration struck.  I had some left over beads in my craft supplies, why not use those to hide the hand stitching?  Get out the needles, cause we've got some beading to do. Who am I doing all this hand work? Frog hand me some chocolate, I think these poppies must be making me a little high.
Tadaaaa, a pop of red color on top, balancing the bottom. Perfect!
After completing this dress I knew it needed some very special shoes......and none of my red shoes matched the orange red poppies. Oops, I once again bought a fabric that is not in my color scheme. At least the background isn't ivory this time.  Then Frog told me I was thinking about this all wrong.  A dress that necessitates a shoe purchase should be a plus. Thanks Froggie, you'll always be my number 1 enabler.
So we asked ourselves WWDCD - What would Dolly Clackett Do? Purchase Miss L Fire heels with the grapes on the toes?  Yes, yes, she would.

Oh sweet, I think those shoes finally made all of you pass out.  Frog, plan "Rudy Slipper" is a go! Start filling the shoe boxes.  Muhaa haaa! You didn't know I was the wicked witch did you? My color correcting and my new nose totally had you fooled.  "I'll get you my pretties and all your little shoes too." Then I'll instagram my new ensembles, I'm not a monster after all.

71 comments:

  1. Stephanie BracelinApril 9, 2014 at 3:47 PM

    Hi! I've been reading your blog for a couple of months ago, being inspired over and over again. I make a lot of my own tops, dresses and skirts as well, but I rarely have time to blog about them or even get a picture. I just have to let you know that this dress is amazing, and I now have to get the Anna pattern, which I never knew about before. Thanks for all the sewing inspiration you've given me!

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  2. Love the dress. The beads on the bodice poppies are a lovely touch. I have no words to describe how I adore your shoes.

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  3. Holy cow batman, that dress is AMAZING!!! <>>

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  4. fabulous! fabulous! Fabulous!! This is like perfection. I love every bit of it!!

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  5. Yep this is gorgeous: the pattern combo and the fabric. Why have I still not made up Anna?! This summer....

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  6. Oh my, your dress is amazing! I think I did pass out for a minute!

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  7. This dress is amazeballs! I love the use of the print, including the poppies up top! Consider my shoes knocked off ;)

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  8. I think I will no longer avoid border prints. You've sold me on them! This is a seriously marvelous dress.

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  9. Gorgeous dress! Love your use of print!

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  10. Adorable! The shoes just go somehow. Great job adding the poppy to the top, great touch of flair.

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  11. that dress is utterly fantastic! i would give anything to own it. good work!

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  12. Yes, yes and more yes.

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  13. Ok, my shoes are locked up, but if you bring cookies I'm sure my daughter will get you the key! I love, love, love this dress!! I love all of your makes, but this is my all time favorite! I'm secretly glad you miscalculated on the fabric since the dress came out just right. And yes to more dresses that require new shoe purchases!

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  14. YOU ARE DEAD! I want that dress!!! Appliqueing the poppies on the bodice was genius! Super fabulous!

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  15. That fabric is amazeballs! despite me love of a good border print in RTW I have never thought to buy some border print fabric. I need to fix that asap and get some!

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  16. Hot dang! That dress is aaamazing!! You are on fire with the awesome dresses. Gorgeous.

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  17. Oh, you don't want my shoes. They're all neutral and have no faux fruit on them. Boring. Right?

    This dress is the opposite of boring! Great use of the border print, and I love the random bodice poppies.

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  18. Love the way you utilized the border print--especially with a fabric crunch! The applique idea was truly inspired, and super cute with the little beads on it, but will you have to take them off to wash it?

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  19. OMG, I waaaaant!!!

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  20. This dress is such a stunner! It's really, really, really beautiful! I didn't realize you had to applique the poppies on the bodice... that's a lot of work, dude! I'm thoroughly impressed!

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  21. Froggie, quick! Pass the bad witch a glass of wine so she can turn back into KnitNBee, the one who hates hand-sewing! Oh, whoever you are, LOVE your dress and crazy cute shoes!

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  22. Ooh, shoes! The dress is beautiful too whilst past Heather may have made future Heathers life interesting, Future Heather smashed it out of the park! Awesome dress.

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  23. Such a special dress! And way to avoid that dreaded ivory-background fabric in favor of this poppy beauty!

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  24. LOVE this dress... I would say the fabric makes it... but that would be a lie, because I know from your instagram feed that you made it. Not the fabric. But you know what I mean, right? I repeat - I LOVE this dress. You look amazing!

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  25. Great dress! Border prints are awesome, especially this one. That beading must have taken up some very precious time, but it was well worth it. And yes, your shoes did make me pass out for a while. Those are surreal!

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  26. this has to be my favorite dress anyone has made ever!!! i have yet to buy a border print, but this has all my wheels turning. love the look so much!

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  27. Oh my gosh, this is my favorite thing you've ever made! I want to straight-up copy it. I emailed Gorgeous Fabrics to see if they have any more of that beautiful fabric, and I'm crossing my fingers!

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  28. On the scale from 1 to ten, I'll give it 107! Everything about it is beautiful, and how you handled the yardage shortage is truly inspiring! Hail Fantabulous Heather!

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  29. Thank you Stephanie, I'm very flattered to hear that my makes are inspiriting. The By Hand London patterns are very nicely done. I'm sure you're gonna enjoy sewing an Anna. :)

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  30. Thanks Cari! Never Spring cleaning finally works out for me and I have beads left over. I knew my sew, don't clean tendancies were good. hee hee

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  31. Thanks Erin, buy all the border prints so that I don't. I'll be forever indebted to you.

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  32. Thank you Kristin. I feel so luck to have snagged this fabric. It really takes everything to the next level. :)

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  33. Thanks Manju, I didn't buy Anna right away either. In fact I procrastinated so long that it arrived just when the weather started to get chilly. At least we don't have too much longer to wait for summer dress weather now. Yippee!

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  34. Haa haa Thanks Marrie. I won't really steal your shoes then cause you've flattered me.

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  35. Oooh, I didn't notice the beads before. Very nice touch. My shoes are on the floor, Froggie come get them.

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  36. Thank you Meg. Amazeballs, I love that word! Bonus points and you can keep your shoes. :)

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  37. Thank you Becki, I don't know why the shoes go with it either. Haa haa! It must be the magic gold sparkles.

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  38. Wow thanks Dharia, too bad I can't clone it and send you one.

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  39. This made me laugh out loud really hard and I have no idea why. Thanks P. :)

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  40. Awww thanks Shar. I'll bring you cookies without stealing the shoes. It's the least I can do after all the nice comments you leave me.

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  41. Haa haaa I'm dead? Don't kill me, I'll let you touch the dress and everything. Help frog, help!. LOL. Thanks Em.

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  42. Thank you LadyxBec! Yes go buy yourself some boarder print and get crazy with it. :)

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  43. Thanks Margo! I'll have to slow down and make a few boring separates now so that I still have dress fabric for summer.

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  44. Haa haa Caroline, I see what you did there with the shoes and I like it. Thanks so much for your lovely comment.

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  45. LOL Becky. I don't know though, Frog says he's got paint and glue gun. He's pretty sure that he can liven those shoes up. Thanks for your great comment about the dress.

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  46. I guess it'd be a waste since we're not body twins... so it wouldn't fit me anyway. Boohoohoo. Why can't we live closer and be the same size so we could sew and swap clothes???

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  47. Why thank you Mamma B. I think I'll be hand washing this baby because the beading nonsense.

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  48. Thanks Corinne, sorry I'll have to keep it though. ;)

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  49. Thanks Ginger! I was able to knock out that beading in an afternoon cause I made my husband watch Des. Muhaaaa avoiding responsibility.

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  50. Ha haa haa haa! You crack me up Maris. Don't worry, I'm better now. Down with handsewing, up with machines and wine!. Thank you.

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  51. LOL, look shoes, and something shiny! Thanks VickiKate, I'm glad you like what the Heather's put together when they use their powers for good.

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  52. Thanks Morgan. I think it helped that all the other colors in the fabric where in my range.

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  53. Thanks Poppykettle. I know exactly what you mean about the fabric and agree! It would still be a cute dress in another fabric but not amazing. :)

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  54. Thanks Sian. I can tell those Miss L Fire shoes are a slippery slope. You can't stop with one pair.

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  55. Thank you Christy. I think you're right that the shortage worked out for the best. Hooray for problem solving. hee hee.

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  56. LOL Wendy, I hope you have regained consciousness now that I've hidden the hypnotic shoes. Thanks so much for your kind comment.

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  57. Oh Wow Lisa, thanks! I will start chanting, "Buy a boarder print." You know you want to.

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  58. Totally. Gorgeous.

    What an absolutely fabulous dress, Heather! This fabric is gorgeous by itself, but you used it in the most brilliant manner. Those poppies transferred to shoulder are amazing! I love it!

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  59. Thanks so much Mary. I lucked out and the fabric told me what it wanted to be. Isn't great when that happens? :)

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  60. It's not even funny how much I love, want and NEED this dress. And the shoes. THE SHOES. Heather, you've done it again. Genius xx

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  61. Thank you Rosin, that is high praise considering all the dresses and shoes in your closet. :) The #sewdollyclackett sewalong isn't going to end this month for me. I'm gonna stretch it through the summer. hee hee!

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  62. Wow! What a fabulous dress, wonderful use of the fabric, love the poppies on the shoulder and to top it off - those shoes!

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  63. Thank you Betty. These shoes are going to go in the prize position in the old shoe closet. :)

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  64. Love it! Brilliant fix with the applique flowers! I love all the poppies. Send some over with froggie will you? I've got a hem I need him to pin.

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  65. Thanks Jo. I will have froggie pack a bag and send him off with a plane ticker. He'd love a change of scenery when it comes to pinning hems.

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  66. Love the dress, shoes and lovely background (is that your inlaw's place?). I really like the idea of using beads on your appliqued flowers. Such a fun dress!!

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  67. This is brilliant!! I love your pattern placement, and the fit of the dress is sensational on you. Well done!

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  68. Thanks Rosie. I'm really happy that this dress does the beautiful fabric justice.

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  69. Thanks Jamie. I might sneak back here for pictures every now and again.

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  70. Hello there! I have been coming to this site for over a year now to view the poppy flower dress. Can you say just where you bought that fabric? What state are you in? I keep thinking of what I would do with 3 yards of this material.

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  71. Hi Letita. I bough this Milly print from GorgeousFabrics.com in late 2013. I also saw it stocked at elliottbermantextiles.com last year. It's sold out now but both of those stores stock Milly prints on occasion.

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