Jalie Bianca in silky patchwork

The second part of my Fall 2024 Fabricville Blogger project is this simple dress, made from this Satin Dimara Multicolour print. I ordered this print because I liked the visual mix; the listing said it was viscose, but unfortunately when I received it, I found that it is actually polyester, which I dislike and don't usually sew with. So I changed my pattern plans, choosing to go with something very simple with few seams - both to use the print effectively without too much matching across a seam, and to reduce the handling of this satiny fabric. 

I chose to use the Jalie Bianca, a pattern I've made before and really like. This time I altered it to have even fewer seams - I cut the front and back pieces on a fold so there are really only side seams to worry about. I made the view with sleeve cuffs, and also added in some side seam pockets. 

I also cut it to give more width in the hem, by simply sliding the skirt in from the fold about an inch, and extending that a-line shape a bit. I added 3 extra inches to the length in case I had to trim off at the end, which I did, so I was thankful for the excess. 

This is how much I had to even up the hem after hanging- widening
it did mean it was more on the bias than the original as well

I found cutting the toughest part of this - this fabric was so slippery! I thought I had it perfectly balanced but the print is a little slanted, just enough to annoy me, lol. Other than keeping it from sliding around it wasn't a bad sew. I had to use a new, fine needle to keep from snagging anything, and did have to let the dress hang overnight to let the hem settle, then level it before stitching, which was a finicky job! 

So it was a bit fussy for such a simple dress but I think it's really fun in its finished form, anyhow. I like it, and just hope it won't be too staticky to wear - I think it will go under quite a few jackets.

Maybe not the original plan of my cream corduroy jacket, which is a great pattern from Vogue, but turned out much too big for me. But I have lots of other sweaters and jackets which will match with one of the many colours in this print. 

Bianca in Fall

This is Part One of my current Fabricville Blogger Project; I chose to make the Jalie Bianca (a pattern I've been eyeing for a while now) in a rich Eggplant Feather Wale Corduroy, thinking that it would work nicely as a fall dress and also as a jumper!

The fabric is soft and malleable -- but as it's corduroy there is really no drape so I chose to make the straight shift view without sleeve bands. It's perfect as a straight jumper style dress, with no closures to worry about, and the best patch pockets! Huge and attached into the side seams as well as being topstitched. 

This pattern has no closures, but both front and back are cut in two, with a centre seam. If my corduroy had a bigger wale so that the stripes were more noticeable, I might have cut the two front pieces on alternating grainlines so that one was vertical and one horizontal. I think the play of light and texture on the two would be interesting! But since this fabric is very fine, I just went with one direction for the whole dress, the nap facing down. 

This is a great pattern, as expected from Jalie. Because I was making it in a non-suggested fabric, I did make a couple of changes, however. The original pattern has a back neck facing and a front bias facing. The facings are attached prior to sewing the shoulder seams. 

But, since I wanted to fully line this dress/jumper, I chose to use bias facing all around the neck so that I could sew the shoulder seams of both dress and lining and baste together at the neckline before attaching the bias facing. I could have just sewn the lining in as the finish, but I prefer lining to sit under a facing at the neckline, because I feel like otherwise a bit of the lining always rolls out no matter how carefully I understitch it. That's just me; you could definitely finish the neckline with the lining if you're less worried about that than I am! 

I also finished the sleeve edges by basting the lining and dress together and attaching the bias arm facings as well. It's a nice tidy finish, and fortunately I had a lovely winey-purple bemberg lining left over in my stash that worked perfectly. I decided to stitch the lining down into the hem like I have for the last two jumpers I've made, because that holds it all together neatly and there's no twisting around with the heavier fabric and tights when the two layers are firmly attached. 

When I finish Part Two of this project, it will add to possibilities of this Bianca!