Esther’s Giselle Dress Hack
Esther got her hack on with March’s Luxury Box viscose crepe and made an adjusted version of the Sew Over It Giselle dress.
Is it getting warmer where you are? I can feel the warmth at the end of the winter. As it’s getting a little warmer in the UK, I keep dreaming of a season where sleeves won’t be crushed by a heavy coat. This month’s luxury box reminded me that warmer months are coming and I am getting excited about filling my wardrobe with cute dresses and fun skirts.
When I saw this fabric, I instantly knew I wanted to make a dress but went back and forth on what to make. I thought about making the By Hand London Anna dress. I had enough fabric for the maxi dress so that would have been a good option. I also thought about finally making a shirt dress. But as I considered my options, I decided to push myself a little out of my comfort zone. I had a vision of the style of my dress in my head and I set out to recreate it.
This pattern started life as the Sew Over It Giselle dress pattern. A favourite of mine. But thanks to some alterations, my garment is quite different from the original pattern. I did my usual fit adjustments to the bodice – made a size 12 and an FBA, narrow shoulder adjustment, took out a wedge for neckline gape and shortened the bodice slightly.
To create this unique garment, I adjusted the pattern by changing the front bodice neckline to a square shape. I also reduced the width of the shoulders. The sleeves were lengthened and slashed and spread to more volume for balloon sleeves. I also slashed and spread each skirt panel to create an A line panelled skirt.
At this point, a good sewist would have taken time to breathe and create a toile but not me! I decided to live on the edge. Since the Giselle dress was one I had made several times and works for me, I wasn’t too afraid that these adjustments would need an initial mock up.
The fabric is a bit lightweight so I had to take care cutting out but things went without a hitch. When I went to sew the dress, I began to go back and forth on how best to finish the neckline. As a rule, I don’t add facings to my necklines. I’ll sooner line the garment than add a facing. I considered adding a lining to the bodice but as I thought about it, I realised that it would make an ultimate summer dress warmer than I would like. I considered breaking my rule and drafting a facing but I decided to still go for the bias binding neckline. I had to fudge some parts but the neckline is nicely finished and I am not afraid of a facing laying incorrectly.
Sewing the rest of the dress was nice and easy. I used the Vogue 8772 as a guide for the sleeves. As I wanted to finish the sleeves with a continuous lap and cuffs. I must have been tired when I attached the sleeves because I attached the sleeves the wrong way round. I noticed after I had overlocked the seam and I didn’t want to make the effort to try to correct it so I took the lazy way out and just chopped up the sleeves, attaching elastic at the hem. I made the hem higher than the pattern suggested but with the a-line skirt, I could still take the hem higher.
The dress is cute and I can’t wait to wear it when it’s no longer sweater weather.