Christie C. Sewing, crocheting, and knitting are crafts that come with a massive dose of love. When you sew, crochet, or knit for someone, you are expressing that love for them through time, patience, and creativity. It is kind of why crafters, despite wishing we probably could create for everyone, tend to reserve the more intense projects for loved ones we know will appreciate them, wear them, and love them forever. So, I was super excited to try my hand at sewing a plus sized dress for my best friend Echo once I felt confident enough in my sewing skills.
Echo and I both agree that most commercial clothing these days…. kind of suck, for lack of a better term. In these post-modern times, clothing is less of an outlet of self expression and utility, and more of a disposable commodity designed to trend through the seasons faster than you can button up your shirt.
Clothing, once cherished for its practical use and aesthetic appeal, quality, design, and fiber content, is now poorly made with plastic fibers and assembled in sweatshops. These fibers are harmful for the environment and don’t actually make comfortable clothes. It’s also not comforting knowing that our clothes are made by people (usually children) earning pennies to nothing in sweatshops.
Unfortunately, it will take a huge systemic and political movement to change this situation. In the meantime, however, I would say that crafters such as us should reasonably use whatever materials are available to us because our crafts do not produce nearly as much waste and destruction as mass production within the fashion industry does.
Collaborating with friends
Echo was visiting me from New York, so I wanted to be able to make a dress in about three days. They gave me creative liberty, so I decided to take some cues from one of my favorite online sewists Janelle from Rosery Apparel. She has a Gathered Rectangle Dress that I use for inspiration when I want a shirred or smocked appearance in my garments. Because my shirring is trash (I still can’t figure out the tension for elastic thread), I love to instead use elastic bands and encase them between the main fabric and a muslin lining. I’m honestly starting to prefer this method because the stretchy parts of the clothing don’t feel as delicate.
Fortunately, Echo loved the dress idea even though it’s more my style than theirs. Echo’s creativity would shine through their fabric selection and styling.
Finding the “perfect” fabric
Echo and I prefer quality and natural fibers because well-made clothing made with natural fibers tend to last longer and feel nicer on the skin. We went shopping with the intention of looking for cotton fabric because polyester is not very breathable, pills easily, holds onto odors, and does not typically last long. That said, Echo fell in love with this beautiful Ginger Spice Sunflower Charmeuse Fabric. It is made with 100% polyester, but we decided to take plenty of measurements and vet the fabric against all of the other options.
We settled on the charmeuse because polyester aside, it was a darn beautiful fabric. It shimmered, the floral rose-gold pattern glowed, and the cinnamon-ginger color was extremely flattering with Echo’s skin tone. The charmeuse did not feel all too cozy against the skin, so we purchased muslin to serve as a lining. The muslin lining would add an extra layer of support, comfort, and breathability to the dress.
While shopping for the fabric, we also completed a side quest and purchased beads to make some jewelry. Why do we have weaknesses for shiny rocks?
Sewing the dress
Despite the plus sized dress pattern being easy enough, this dress was still a challenge because I had never created a piece for a plus sized silhouette before. I wanted to make sure that I addressed some of the most common frustrations faced by larger bodies: a flattering shape, support for bosoms, breathability (which is honestly a problem for all of us), structure, and interesting details. As an added bonus, I wanted this dress to work for Echo no matter their size. Echo is currently working on improving their health through walking and healthier eating, so I wanted the dress to fluctuate with their body.
Shirring with muslin lining and thick elastic
Traditional shirring requires elastic thread. Given Echo’s shape (and me being trash at shirring), I decided to use enclosures with elastic bands instead of elastic thread. This turned out to be a better option anyway because it prevented the bust portion of the dress from warping and provided support and structure. As an added bonus, the smocked appearance looked more attractive.
French seams and pockets
I still do not have a sewing machine with a serger (and don’t plan on getting one any time soon), so I secured the seams using the French seaming technique. Even though sections around the seams got bulky, my needles did make it through.
I almost omitted pockets (out of laziness), but… let’s be real here. Pockets are just necessary. How dare I attempt a pocket-less dress!
Shoulder Ties
I created ties for the shoulders. If Echo ever wants to go strapless, they only have to tuck the ties into the inside of the dress. These straps were very satisfying to make; they shine, they have body, and they look fancy. Cleopatra thought they were a toy.
The Finished Look
Our kitty Cleopatra was sad to let the dress go. She loved walking on it, sleeping on it, and rubbing on it.
Echo wore their new dress back home in New York City, glowing up the town in ginger and rose gold charmeuse. They styled the dress in chunky black boots, a black wool hat from Tarpley Thompson and Company.
There were several invigorating moments for us both when they wore the dress. Echo told me how beautiful they felt that day they wore it, and how it was the best fitting piece of clothing they had. Regardless of the person, clothing really can impact our confidence, especially when it makes us feel one of a kind.
Although I have made items for family and friends before, Echo was the first to actually “style” a piece I’ve made, meaning, they assembled an outfit with intention. Our combined creativity manifested something new; I realized that this is what creativity and community should feel like: collaboration with others, relationship building, and a sense of comradery when the end product is a work of art.
Beautiful creations Christie and I echo those sentiments xx
Gorgeous fabric and the dress looks beautiful on Echo!
Thank you! 🙏🏾 😊