Knock-Off Finally Finished!

And here it is ready on the LAST day of the knock-off contest at Pattern Review:

I can't believe how much time and re-drafting I have done on this pattern! It looked so simple when I started but you readers that have been following my blog know how many "muslins" I've sewed (some of which I like better than the final item!)   It has been a fun experience and I've learned so much about pattern drafting.

This is about all that I have sewed on for the whole month of May! I'm ready to tackle something else now.
                                                                            

Knock-Off---Almost there!

Thanks to those of you who have asked if I am still trying to do the knock-off  of this dress:

The answer is YES, but I had to take some time off to think about how I want to proceed to get that middle blue piece to have the crescent-shaped drape like the above image. I have studied patterns that have sort of the right look, and the new Threads magazine even had an article about making a hip drape which helped.

After much thought I decided to re-cut that middle pattern piece. Instead of curving around to fit the other pieces (like the dark line), I just cut it straight from the top (like the green dotted lines).

This worked much better. Since that straight piece was forced to curve it started draping like I wanted rather than laying flat on the body.     Here is the result

Don't know how much you can tell from the pic but there is a huge difference from my former "muslins" in the way that middle printed piece drapes nicely, just like I wanted.
Now I just need to re-cut the pattern so it will have the same proportions as the inspiration design.  Maybe I'll do one more "test model" before cutting out the REAL fabric.  I need to get to work if I'm going to enter it into the Pattern Review Knock-off Contest as it ends next week!   More later.                                                                           
                                                               
                                                                 

Still knocking-off

Thanks so much for all the comments and suggestions that I've gotten in my attempt to knock off this design:

I've incorporated many of your suggestions into this next muslin attempt.  I changed the grain lines (green arrows) and "slash-and-spread" lines (pink lines) so they were going the same way that the drapes I want  go in the design.

Although I really like the resulting dress and will wear it a lot it still doesn't have the long diagonal draping in the blue middle piece that I want.  My method of adding draping with "Slash-and-Spread" does not seem to be working.

I am now re-thinking the entire cut of the Blue piece.  Instead of being curved to fit I am going to try making it a long straight piece (beneathe the neck and sleeve cutout) and sewing it to the curved pieces on each side.
Do you think that will work?  Please continue to give me any suggestions you might have.
                                                                             
                                                                          
                                                            

Knock-Off Contest Update

I'm so glad I'm blogging this endeavor because I got some great suggestions to improve my knock-off attempt of this dress

First though I want to give a shopping report. I went to one of my favorite fabric spots called "Pennsylvania Fabric Outlet" today to look for the 3 fabrics I want to use. I had previously tried out different ones in my stash but they were either the wrong color or type of fabric.  Since the inspiration dress is made of silk I wanted a "silky" fabric that would drape nicely.   Here is what I found:

These are all a good quality polyester woven and I think about as close as I'm going to come to matching the original  (I'd never find silk in the right colors even if I could afford it!)

All of the comments I got had do with the fact that my last attempt seemed TOO drapey above the side inset seam and NOT Drapey enough below and I have to agree!

Shams of communingwithfabric  suggested that I add a "slash-and-spread" to the bottom piece to give it some drape on the left too.     Do you all think it would work if I "s&s" on each of the dotted pink lines in this drawing?  Do they have the right angle?

I will incorporate these changes in my next muslin but meanwhile I've made my first stab at putting the 2 different inserts on the left side:

I can tell from this that the small insert is the wrong shape and the crummy yellow knit is not a good choice for nice draping!  In my next muslin I will try to use woven, silky fabrics like I plan to have in the final design, plus adding more draping.   Still having fun!  more later---                                                                              
                                                                           
                                                                                  
                                                                       
                                                                
                                                                        

Knock-off Contest design Part 3

After getting side-tracked with my last attempt to "knock-off" this design  for the Pattern Review contest I was anxious to try again:

Although the inspiration model as 2 different colors of drapey "insets" in the left side I decided to start with just one.   In order to give it more "drape" I used the following pattern idea to cut out the inset (adding seam allowances and markings on the curved edges)

I "slashed-and-spread" on the lighter blue lines which added 4-5 inches to the length of the side seam of the bodice, which would hopefully give it enough "drape".

Here is the result which I'm more satisfied with---I think the "Slash and Spread" is the right way to make an asymmetrical drape

My next step will be to put another smaller inset in the larger inset.  Today I'm going shopping to try to find the right colors of blue and grey that match the inspiration picture----fabric stores here I come!                                                                           
                                                                      
                                                                   

Knock-Off Contest Part 2

After much thinking I've begun work again on my entry to the Pattern Review "Knock-Off Contest" in which I will attempt to copy this design

. After my last entry, when I was able to reproduce the asymmetric neck and shoulder line, I decided to put that part of the pattern aside and work on the drape on the left side of the dress and began thinking how it could be done.

Using a basic 1 piece dress pattern  (Butterick 5211) I first attempted to make one side "drape" by enlarging the pattern on the side like this (dotted lines)

I made it up in a stripe, thinking that it would really show up the drapy side

This was a disaster! It just looked lumpy and droopy on the left side instead of the graceful drape I had envisioned. But because I am trying to make all my knock-off "muslins" into something wearable I quickly cut it up and came up with this top which I like a lot better.

This is a fun shirt with that funky look I like, but I have gotten off track with my knockoff design!

I've decided I need to make an inset on the left side of the pattern like the inspiration design has. I will cut out an inset like this

                                                                  
       Then, after adding seam allowances and careful markings to each piece I will "slash and spread" the pattern on the light blue lines.  This will hopefully give me the "drape" I want on that left side .     Stay tuned for my next muslin attempt in this "knock-off" contest----I having SO much FUN!!