colorblocked kat dress

colorblocked kat dress | grainline studio

Phew! Here it is, my dress is finally finished. I started this baby way back in July 2009 as a rush job to wear to my friend Kat's wedding, but decided I liked how it was turning out too much to finish it in such a hurry. So I packed it up, went to the wedding and have just had it sitting around in my brain and studio since then.

colorblocked kat dress | grainline studio

When I pulled it out of the storage bag a few weeks ago, I realized that I needed to re-make the bodice as well as pleat the skirt rather than gathering for a cleaner look, and I'm glad I did! It's sort of a mish-mosh of fibers, the ivory fabric is cotton, the grey is silk and the coral is "assorted fibers" per the Vogue Fabrics tag.

colorblocked kat dress | grainline studio

Inside the bodice is a bustier made from canvas (mmm not regular canvas though, some sort of stiff dressmaking fabric I only know as canvas) and block fused charmeuse which is boned. I don't have a picture of the inside, but the charmeuse sure is nice on the skin! I love a bustier with canvas and boning because things stay put better and you're not always hiking up the strapless dress. The only thing I forgot is to sew in the hanger ribbons, so that's a bit of a bummer. Oh well, at least it's done! On another, very random note, I stopped using conditioner in my hair a week or two ago. I think it's going pretty well so far. Does anyone else not use conditioner?