Thank you so much for all the Kanga, dress, and necklace orders! We’ve now finished for this month, but I hope to send a new batch of Kangas home in the summer. I’m working on setting up a fabric section on the site just for that purpose, making purchases that much easier from within sensibility.com.

We really appreciate all the encouraging notes, color suggestions, and feedback on this effort. Forever Grace is off and running, and I look forward to seeing these wonderful ladies continue their sewing education and feel the joy of producing with their own hands. You’ve made that possible, and we thank you.

The hat works up quickly with this beginner-level pattern, in a worsted weight olive green wool yarn true to the fashions of the day, which, in their patriotism, often reflected WWII uniforms. Since you can make two of these one-size-fits-all hats from one 3.5oz skein, it’s an economical gift idea and a great help for saving money on your Swing Era costumes! Work the hat in the round with just a few basic stitches; do a bit of effortless brim shaping, then gather the front with a little binding. Instructions include shaping details and hints for the best results. Skill level: easy. Designed by Kristen Stoltzfus just for Sense & Sensibility customers.

Note for European and Australian customers: Some crocheting terms are different from the US. Thanks to customer Antonia L, who shared a great link to translate terms from American to British (also used in AUS):

http://crochet.about.com/od/conversioncharts/a/termtranslate.htm 

Our favorite local restaurant, which hosted the dinner, really did a fabulous job of setting the scene. The entryway featured roped stanchions and a gangplank with the White Star Line logo painted on it (alas, the photos turned out too dark to share this!). The tables were set with the full array of cutlery for each of the courses:

Here’s the menu, reproduced from an original that actually survived the sinking in a passenger’s pocket:

The superb chef combined a couple of the original ten courses to make eight courses (serving asparagus with the salmon rather than on its own, for instance). The final results were a culinary education and delight! Here we are, enjoying a wonderful evening of history and good fellowship:

My handsome husband, who served as emcee, and I, seated at our table. (Yes, the water bottle rather spoils the picture!)

Two of my dearest friends here attended with their husbands. We sure had fun! In this photo, you can see that I have the train looped over my left hand.

With my eldest son, who was thrilled to enjoy two hours of eating (teenage boy heaven!).

Visiting with other attendees.

I wish I could share a photo of my husband and me waltzing together, but we bowed out early. I’m sure I’ll be wearing this gown again, though, and it’s begging for a waltz! Thank you so much for all your help and feedback while I was putting it together. It was much more fun to share and hear your ideas than to go it alone!

The first thing I did was to open out my pattern sheet and measure the skirt pieces. I had cut out enough of the spun silk to make a waistline sash, but that meant I wouldn’t be able to cut the underskirt to the full width indicated on the pattern piece. That was fine by me, as I actually preferred to have a slimmer underskirt with train for a more columnar look. But I did want to make sure there’d be room in one key area: the hipline. If you plan to make a narrower skirt, always be sure to check the width through the hips, as you need enough ease to move and sit comfortably.

I laid my material over the pattern piece and checked it out:

There was plenty of width except at the very bottom near the hemline. In the photo above, I am pointing at the correct line for my size, showing about an inch difference between that and my material. No problem. I simply cut along my size line and narrowed as I neared the hem:

Perfect. Now I repeated this for the underskirt back, except that I didn’t cut off anything at the lower edge, since I wanted to make a rectangular train:

I French-seamed the sides of the skirt….

…then ran gathering stitches across the top, breaking at the side seams:

Now it was time to pin the underskirt to the bodice on my mannequin, overlapping to take up the 5/8″ seam allowance:

With that in place, I took my overskirt material and laid out one end over the skirt back pattern piece, cutting the fabric to match the upward sweep of the skirt’s top edge:

Since I would be using the same piece of material for the skirt front, I laid out the other side on top of the skirt front pattern piece and cut to match there as well. It’s very important with such “slithery” material to make sure the edges are lined up nice and square:

Now I took this long piece of material and pinned it to the mannequin, center back/front (leaving room for the split at each) and the side seams, then taking up the rest of the material with careful pinning, always making sure I’d overlapped the bodice 5/8″.

With the overskirt pinned in place, I could cut the lower edge for my hemline. I wanted the hem to be slightly curved toward the center front but sweep down to a longer hem in back over the train. I cut from front to back, eyeballing as I went. When the overskirt looked like I wanted it to, I unpinned the first half and laid it over the remaining saree material, wrong sides together, carefully matching the selvedges and gold “leaf” pattern. Then I cut the second half of the overskirt to match:

Then I pinned both overskirt halves in place to double-check them (I realize one half looks shorter than the other in this photo, but they were actually perfectly matched!):

Great! Now it was time to gather the overskirt to the underskirt:

And pin both to the bodice, keeping the lining free:

I stitched the bodice to the skirt and moved on to inserting the back zipper (nope, it’s not period correct, but it sure is easier than trying to make one of those convoluted 1910s hook and eye openings!). Now, you might wonder how I’d manage to put an invisible zipper into the skirt back when there’s no center-back seam (prettier for a dress with a train). It’s actually quite easy and works on most fabrics (I wouldn’t try it on very thin/sheer materials, but just about everything else works nicely). First, you stay-stitch a long rectangle around the area you plan to slash to insert the zipper, narrowing as you reach the bottom of the slash point so that you take up just four or five stitches across the bottom of the rectangle:

Then, when you cut the slash, you also snip into the corners to create a seam allowance for your zipper (this is very similar to the gusset step for my Regency Short Stays, in fact):

Now you neatly press the “seam allowance” you just made:

Now I could insert the zipper without having a long center-back seam to ruin the look of my train. I began by matching the end of one side of the zipper to the top of my center back opening and sewing down to the bottom of the slash:

Next, I checked to make sure my waistline seam met in the middle when the seam was closed up:

Then I pinned the other half of the zipper in place:

Then I stitched this one in place, also top to bottom:

Now it was time to finish off the train. Because I wanted it to look beautiful when picked up for waltzing, I lined it with China silk, cutting it to the same width as the train and long enough to go just above the hem length of the skirt front:

Here’s the lining, neatly pinned in place around the three sides:

After stitching up one side, across the bottom, and down the other side, I clipped corners, turned the train right side out, and pressed neatly:

Turning under the raw edge inside the skirt, I pinned the lining in place just above the hemline of the skirt front:

Here’s a closer view at the corner where the train meets the skirt front, showing the narrow hem I turned under for the front (I hemmed this to “dancing length”–just above the ankle–which seems to have been popular on board Titanic according to at least two lady passengers):

I whipstitched the train’s lining to the inside of the skirt and finished the front hem, taking up very tiny stitches to prevent a lot of puckers on the outside of the dress (it is possible to pick up a single thread with careful hemming):

With that done, I now put the dress back on my mannequin and pinned the bodice overlay to the interlining/lining beneath in key places (to prevent it slipping off at the shoulders while wearing it):

Before putting away my sewing machine to do all the handwork, I whipped the sash together. Because I had cut only one length of the spun silk to make the sash, I opted to line it with the same China silk used for the train:

I stitched the lining to the silk, up one long side, across the short end, and down the other long side. Then I clipped the corners, turned it right side out, and pressed it nicely before turning inside the raw edges and pinning the end closed:

Finally, I slipstitched the ends closed to finish the sash:

Before tacking the sash to the bodice, I needed to finish off the inside by folding under the raw edge of the lining and pinning it over the waistline seam. It is easiest to do this with the dress wrong side out on the mannequin:

Whipstitching secured this in place:

Next, I tacked the bodice overlay to the interlining/lining in a few strategic places:

Then it was time to add the decorative edge to the neckline. I did this by “harvesting” the gold edge of the saree fabric from leftover scraps cut away when I cut out the bodice pieces. Here are the longest pieces I found in my stash:

I folded the ends under and matched carefully to preserve the zigzag pattern of the edging:

Then I stitched the pieces together by hand to create two long strips of edging:

I pinned the edging to the neckline, matching the selvedge to the neckline’s edge and turning under the raw edge:

Now I stitched the edging to the neckline, taking up tiny stitches along both the folded edge and the selvedge:

Here are both edges in place, and I love seeing the continuous line of trimming running from the neckline to the overskirt (no one will see this, as it will be under the sash, but I still think it’s nice when things line up neatly!):

So now it was time to put the dress back on the mannequin and set the sash in place. First, I pulled the sash around the waistline and lined up its short edges with the center back opening of the gown:

As you see, I made a horizontal “pleat” in the sash to give it a “scrunched” look. Next I placed the sequined “teardrop” trimming over the sash and pinned it in place:

I decided to make a flat, rectangular “knot” to give the sash more of an “obi” look at the back, and I used the leftover “teardrop” as its accent. This little extra piece would hide my zipper seam and give the back a more finished look (the original pattern calls for a rose made of the sash material, but you can do just about anything here!). After removing the dress from the mannequin, I tacked the sash and its trimming in place at center front, side seams, and either side of the center back. I hemmed the overskirt with a narrow hem,  then made a couple of tassels for the center front, using copper-colored DMC floss and following a tutorial pointed out to me by Suzi Clarke (thanks, Suzi!).

That’s all for today. My last post will be the “big reveal,” showing you the finished gown on the mannequin and on me at the Titanic Centenary Dinner!

A 1912 dinner gown with the “V” inset style. This one has a solid overskirt decorated with embroidery or openwork, then a trained underskirt in a lighter blue.

Here’s an interesting 1912 French dinner gown with a split, trained overskirt featuring a “knot” in the center. Underskirt has decorative fringe across the hemline.

This is a 1912 illustration of an evening gown by House of Worth. Note the filmy kimono sleeves and the split, trained overskirt revealing a heavily decorated underskirt beneath.

Another 1912 worth evening gown. This one features a brocade underskirt with train. The overbodice and skirt are of black chiffon or georgette. Note the “V” inset on this gown as well–a popular look in 1912, it seems. Good choice, ladies!

So, given these ideas, let’s see what I can create of my coppery spun silk and yards of saree material!

This is obviously the most straightforward option: a split-front overskirt that echoes the “V” of the inset. Here’s a close-up:

I’ve pinned the skirt with minimal gathers for a slimmer look. Fuller skirts came in around 1914-5, emphasizing the hipline. The look of 1912 is still mostly columnar, emphasizing the regal posture and collarbones. In a way, this period is a throwback to 1812, as it has a brief “fling” with the empire waist again.

Okay, let’s mix things up a bit by moving the front split over to the left side for an asymmetrical look:

And here’s a close-up:

I think this work looks, because the split serves as a visual continuation of the “V” sweep of the right side of the bodice inset (left in the photo). It’s not as slimming as option 1, but it’s pretty. Now let’s try sweeping the material to one side to create a more dramatic front opening:

I think this has more “wow” factor than the plainer side-front split. Thoughts? Here’s the same basic idea but with a less dramatic sweep:

Okay, now let’s try “hemming” the saree material to create a shorter overskirt:

Hmmm…. I know it’s straight out of 1912, but I just don’t like the “chopped” look of a shorter overskirt. I think it visually shortens the wearer, making for a dumpier silhouette.

Now let’s take a look at some skirt back options:

This is the most basic option: a solid overskirt with the copper train coming from the underskirt.

Close-up of the rectangular train.

Here’s a more dramatic skirt back option–a second split opening:

I like this idea much better. It really revs up the drama of the train and makes it look like a “waterfall” rather than something just sticking out from under the overskirt. What do you think?

Now let’s try a “swept” overskirt back:

This is very Paul Poiret with the “hip panniers” created by the overskirt. It’s definitely dramatic, but I think it draws the eye to the wrong places. What’s your opinion? Here’s a dress from this period with a similar look (stolen from Suzi Clarke’s Pinterest–thanks, Suzi!):

Now, there is one last option that I do have enough fabric to attempt. Here is a Worth gown with a tiered overskirt made of what looks like saree material:

Because I have so many yards of my saree fabric, I could attempt this look. The quick draping below gives an idea of how it would turn out, though it looks a little “bunchy” simply because I had to fold the saree to shorten up the layers:

The idea has merit, but I’ll confess up front it’s the one I’m least inclined to try due to my time constraints. I hope to finish all the machine sewing on this gown tonight (Friday), since we’ll be enjoying our guests all Easter weekend. I plan to do the hand trimming and hemming on Tuesday. The dinner is Thursday, so this is it! I’d really appreciate your feedback on the various skirt options. I truly can’t make up my mind without a lot of input!

In fact, I was serenely confident everyone would agree that this was the prettiest option for my bodice. And, indeed, the majority of commenters on Part Two leaned in that direction. But then I got to playing around with the bodice overlay, trying out the “V” look, and suddenly inset #2 began to shine. I honestly couldn’t see myself preferring this inset to the first, but most of you did, and so did I. It really is lovely:

So last night I pulled out the sewing machine and created the foundation of this dress, which is the sleeveless lining/interlining/inset combination that the silk saree overlay bodice will “float” over. Making a sleeveless lining really allows the gorgeous semi-sheer silk sleeves to shine on their own, and it’s not hard to do. Let’s start with all the components laid out and ready to go:

The first step is to sew the darts into the interlining and lining by following the lines I marked last time:

After sewing the darts in both lining and interlining and test them on my mannequin. They fit beautifully, so I move on to make the inset by laying the burnout organdy over the copper silk, then place the lining on top of both:

Then I stitch across the top of the inset to secure the layers together:

Once that is done, I grade the seam allowance to reduce bulk:

Now I open the inset out by flipping up the lining, revealing the “right” side of the inset:

It’s time to understitch this seam, which simply means stitching the lining piece to the seam allowance of the inset:

Here’s the inset turned and pressed (you can just see the understitching above my finger):

Time to sew the inset to the bodice interlining and lining. To do this, I pin the inset in place, matching the top edge to the dot mark on the interlining bodice and laying the lining on top (thus sandwiching the inset between the two):

I stitch this long seam, taking up the 5/8″ seam allowance, then grade the seam:

Next, I flip the lining out to understitch it to the seam allowance beneath:

Here’s a shot of the understitching in place so you can see it:

And here’s the first half of the bodice foundation finished:

I repeat these steps for the second half, but I let my mind wander long enough to accidentally stitch the layers together at the understitching step! Oh, well. Mom always said, “As ye sew, so shall ye rip!”

Once the second half is completed, it’s time to finish off the armscyes to give a nice edge to this sleeveless bodice foundation. To do this, you simply turn the armhole edges (interlining and lining) until right sides are together and pin them. You will end up with the inset sort of hanging out in between, but that’s okay as long as you keep it out of the line of stitching:

Here’s the seam pinned from top to bottom:

And here’s the view from the lining side:

Once this seam is stitched, you clip curves and turn the armholes right-side out by reaching through from the lower edge of the bodice front and pulling the bodice back through the “tube” you just created:

Repeat for the second half, then press everything neatly, and there you have two neatly finished armscyes:

To finish this bodice foundation, you need to stitch up the underarm seams. Open them out flat and match them in the center so that lining is pinned to lining and interlining to interlining:

Here’s the finished seam:

Press this, and the foundation is complete:

And here’s the back view:

Now it’s time to tackle the beautiful silk saree overlay, which will basically sew up as two bodice halves and be layered on top of this foundadtion using hand-sewing (except at the center back closure, where it will go into the zipper seam). First, I try the halves on the mannequin over the underbodice, pin-basting the side/sleeve seams:

And securing the center back with pins as well:

Now, as you can clearly see, the bodice front is much too long. I cut the halves longer on purpose to give myself room to play with several draping options. I had thought about doing some gentle “scrunches” or even making pleats over the inset, but I ended up not liking the look. This saree material is so delicate and “molds” so nicely to my dressform that I decided to keep it simple. So I created the “V” neckline that won so much admiration last time:

Kind of looks like a pretty blouse, doesn’t it? I may just have to try making one of those one of these days….

Now I trim away the excess from the lower edge, following the line of the foundational bodice beneath:

And here’s the result:

The wonderful saree silk really doesn’t need any darts in it (they would also strain this delicate material, I think), so I’m leaving them off entirely. The crossover “V” pulls in the excess material, and the sash will also cover the seam line anyway, so darts really aren’t necessary here. With the fit confirmed, I remove the bodice to sew up the side/sleeve seams. As always with such material, I use French seams.

First, stitch 1/4″ away from the raw edge, wrong sides together:

Since this is a curved underarm seam, I make small “snips” at the curves to help ease it (no need to clip larger notches into such a small seam). Next, I turn the bodice wrong side out and stitch again, right sides together, taking up a 3/8″ seam (which makes 5/8″ total now):

Here’s a closeup of the finished seam:

And now I need to finish the neckline edge of this bodice overlay. Since I intend to hand-sew the saree’s golden edge over this as a trim, I have no qualms about machine-stitching the hem in place. My rolled hem foot ended up going AWOL during our move to Kenya, but this neckline edge really only has a gentle curve, so I am able to stitch a hem without any trouble:

Press all neatly:

And there we are: a lovely bodice!

It’s officially the “wee hours” here in East Africa, so I’m going to wait ’til tomorrow morning to share the skirt options I’ve played with. I’ve got pictures of several ideas, and I’ll want your input!

First, the inset as I originally cut it with one half-circle at the top:

With the bits of the lace remnant left over, I cut another inset with the half circles on either side, creating a vertical line in the center:

Here’s what this looks like pinned in place on the mannequin with the rest of the bodice:

Now, I’ll agree this has a more symmetrical look to it, but I have to admit the first thought that popped into my head was that it looked like the mannequin had round potholders strategically placed over the bust beneath the bodice material! So I decided to try some different ways of draping the bodice material. I had actually cut out an experimental bodice half at the start, adding length and width at the front to give me more material to play with. I figured if I decided I didn’t like the draping, I could always cut it down to match the other side of the bodice (and I’ve got plenty of saree to play with, since I had to buy the entire five-meter piece!).

With the extra material, we can try asymmetrical drapery like this:

Here’s the full view with a non-split overskirt (and no waistline sash):

I tend to be a very “Georgian” gal when it comes to the architecture of my dresses, so I’m not overly fond of the asymmetrical look (yes, I was the little girl who drew the house with four perfectly proportioned windows and a central door!). I also feel that the solid overskirt tends to make the wearer look short, so let’s check out this gown with the split overskirt and more straightforward inset option:

The central “stripe” created by the open overskirt is slimming. Here’s the same look with the inset turned the other way:

Hmmm… I’m still not liking the look of those strategic “circles” at the bust. How about you? So let’s go back and play around with the bodice overlay, draping it to form a “V”:

I dunno… It’s a bit better, but the darker portions draw the eye to the wrong place. So let’s flip the inset and try again:

Ahhh! Now this I am beginning to like! Let’s see how it looks if we set the overskirt to reflect it with an upside-down “V”:

Very slimming, and all the bodice needs is the reciprocating trim around the neckline. But let’s go back to inset option #2 and give it another trial run with these drapery effects:

Hey! That actually looks really nice now! I think with the wider inset shape, this fabric looks kind of “lost,” but when you change the overbodice to the “V”, this inset starts to shine a bit. Here’s a full-length view:

Not bad! I still think the plainer inset would need some help (like a band of the coppery spun silk at the top or some beading or something), but it’s starting to hold its own now with this look. Now let’s play around with the neckline trimming idea. In the photos below, I’ve just pulled up the excess saree material and draped it around the neckline (that’s why the sleeves have vanished):

Wow! Now things really have a symmetrical, “together” look. What happens if we go back to the original inset shape?

Well, I don’t know about you, but I’m just not feeling this one. It’s gone from “wow” to “oh” in one step. There’s just something about the “V” shape that makes this plainer inset fabric work. No matter which inset I end up using, I’ll definitely trim it out with the golden edge of the saree material (which will involve a lot of hand-sewing but will be worth it, I think).

So now help me choose which option to go for when it comes to my bodice draping and inset choice. Here are the four choices:

Option 1: Medallion Lace inset with straight overbodice

Option 2: Burnout Organdy inset with straight overbodice

Option 3: Medallion Lace inset with “V” overbodice

Option 4: Burnout Organdy inset with “V” overbodice

I’ve left out the asymmetrical option and the alternate cutting layout of inset #1. Unless I hear a lot of comments to the contrary, I’m going to assume the “potholder” bust look isn’t even in the running. At this point, after trying several options, I feel like I could happily go with either inset. I’m leaning more toward the “V” look, but the original “pattern cover” look also has its merits. If anyone has very strong ideas about a different approach to draping the bodice, I’m wide open, but keep in mind that I only have four days to finish this dress, because we have people flying in this weekend, which means no time to sew — and the dinner is on the 12th! I only sew on weeknights after the children are asleep or on Saturdays, so I’m pretty much down to sewing Tuesday through Friday evenings (if the power stays on!).

Fire away! I look forward to reading your comments.

It’s tempting to look at dart markings on pattern pieces and try so hard to “obey” them that the process becomes frustrating. That needn’t be. No two ladies have exactly the same shape, so customizing darts is perfectly kosher. This pattern’s dart markings were created for a more modern bustline (lower bust point and fuller bust), so if you’re going to wear the gown over a corset, the darts will pin up differently:

My corset pushes the bustline in and up just a bit, making for a slightly longer vertical dart. The side dart (used on sizes 18 and up) actually didn’t need much adjustment at all. The goal here is to achieve a snug, smooth fit over the corset to provide a good foundation for the outer material (a silk saree in this case).

After I double-checked the placement of the darts, I marked along the pin lines with pencil:

Here are the darts opened out with markings in place:

Note that my markings do not exactly follow the lines on the pattern piece, and that’s perfectly fine. When I repinned the darts to fit my corset, I found I needed to reposition the vertical darts to make a nicer line in front. This resulted in the following “leftover” material at the lower end of the dart:

The point is the center of the dart as originally marked, but I moved it over toward the side seam. Because I am short-waisted and don’t need the extra length anyway, I just trimmed away the excess at the lower edge. If you are longer in the waist, you can just move the dart marking over as needed and cut a new toile/lining.

To complete the test fit of the bodice, it was time to check the inset. I cut an interfacing inset out for my size and pinned it to the interfacing “toile” for the bodice front, lining up the top of the inset 5/8″ above the dot marking the top of the inset on the neckline:

Then I checked the fit of the rest of the inset to make sure there was a 5/8″ seam all the way down to the bottom:

Serendipity: a perfect fit the first time! Now it was time to move on.

Gowns from this time period often had carefully structured linings designed to support comparatively flimsy drapery on top, like the black chiffon you see on the 1912 Paul Poiret gown below (from the Met’s costume collection):

I like the delicate look of the sleeves without the lining, so I chose to alter my pattern to cut away the kimono sleeves on the interlining (a dark peacock blue China silk) and lining (the muslin I used for my toile). To mark the armholes for the lining, I put the interfacing “toile” on my mannequin and marked a new cutting line:

You’ll see two faint lines. That’s because I took the toile off and double-checked it on myself. Armless mannequins don’t always accurately show how you need to cut an armhole! After testing the cutting line, I went ahead and cut away the “sleeve,” then put the bodice back on the mannequin to check once again:

With the bodice toile fitted nicely, I went cut along the armscye I marked to make my lining:

Then I cut out the interlining in China silk, lining up the center back with the selvedge:

Finally, I used the original kimono-sleeve piece (the other interfacing piece from my first pin-fit) to cut out the bodice halves. Instead of lining up the center back on the saree’s decorative selvedge, I lined up the sleeve to give me a finished, decorative edge:

Here’s a detail shot:

Now it was time to cut out the bodice inset with its overlay and interlining. I am using the coppery spun silk for the interlining and have two candidates for the overlay–the Battenberg-style lace medallion remnant and the “burnout” organdy. I cut one of each:

Now, you’re going to help me decide which one to use! I pinned all the bodice pieces in place on my mannequin for a preview. Below is Option 1: The Lace Medallion Inset:

And here’s Option 2: The Burnout Organdy:

Here are what I perceive as the pros and cons of each option:

1. The lace medallion inset is obviously a much larger design and makes the inset take center stage. The “vine” design at the top within the half-circle is quite striking and beautifully showcases the coppery spun silk beneath. But this could also be a “con,” as the inset definitely draws the eye more than the rest of the bodice.
2. This option is the “blander” of the two, in my opinion, but the color is closer to the gold leaf pattern on the saree silk. I could bead the leaves on the inset to give it more “oomph,” but being on a tight schedule here (with frequent power outages, no less!) makes this a stress-inducing option. However, the smaller vine design doesn’t compete with the saree silk for attention, which is a pro.

Let me show you the bodice options again, this time with the spun silk used as a sash and the sequined “paisley” belt on top:

Okay, time to fire away! I covet your opinions, and I don’t plan to sew a stitch until I hear your take on these options. Which one would you go with and why? Thanks!

The peacock blue and gold silk above is a long saree that will be used for the main portions of the bodice and overskirt. The copper-colored spun silk will be the underskirt and will also go under one of the other coppery-gold materials below to serve as the inset.

I haven’t quite decided how I want the final dress to look, so I’ll be soliciting your feedback as this gown goes together in the following week!

I began this project by tracing the bodice pattern piece onto interfacing from the original:

Next, I corseted my mannequin to match my shape and pinned the bodice darts to fit correctly over the corseted form:

Here’s a close-up from the side to show the second (horizontal) dart:

The object of the darts in this case is to create a smoothly fitted lining. I actually plan to drape the outermost part of the bodice rather than using darts, as I’m aiming for the more “freehand” look of the time period (see the evening gowns I posted in a recent article on Titanic fashions). But I want my lining to fit nicely and provide a firm foundation for the drapery of the saree material. Another plan I have is to make the lining sleeveless so that I get the full advantage of the saree’s marvelous, almost “watery” drape in the sleeves.

I’ve already gotten through the toile fitting steps and have cut out the bodice and inset, but it’s late here in Kenya, so I’m signing off for now and will post again tomorrow night if all goes well!

Kanga (CAHN-ga) cloths provide a lot of the beautiful color of East Africa and also preserve a unique cultural heritage. They are used to make tunics and skirts, baby slings, head scarves, hand bags, shawls, tablecloths, and more. You also see Kangas hung on the wall inside a house like works of art, made into pillows and blankets, and even decorating the outdoors while flapping gorgeously on clotheslines.

Included with each purchase is a history of the Kanga and a “Kanga Patterns” PDF with a gridded wrap skirt pattern, plus instructions for an A-line, side-zip skirt:

Wrap Skirt

A-line Skirt

• Cotton-poly Kangas (80/20 blend of a weight similar to American muslin) for $19.95
• Thick 100% cotton Kangas (the highest quality and similar to a linen-cotton blend) for $24.95

Each double Kanga measures 44″ wide by 112″ long, so you get two full panels joined in the center. Each panel contains a Swahili “jina” or saying. You’ll receive a PDF with the English translation of the phrase on your Kanga (these are also shown in the listings on Etsy).

With clever cutting, you can also make adorable girls’ dresses that use the border for fantastic sleeves and hemlines:

Girls' 1950s-style shirt dress

Pattern coming soon!

All proceeds from the sale of these Kangas go to fund the Forever Grace Sewing Guild, which partners with Hosanna Revival Church in Nairobi’s Kibera slum to provide work for widows, single mothers, and other needy women. The ladies who work with Forever Grace receive free instruction in pattern cutting, sewing, and marketing. They are treated as independent contractors and are able to work from home on their own time schedules (no sweat shops!).

The first sewing class!

Over time, we hope to help these ladies develop a line of clothing with a marketing plan for in-country sales and export to the US and other markets. Thanks for helping to launch Forever Grace and enable these ladies to care for their own children while working from home. Be sure to follow Sense & Sensibility Patterns on Facebook, as we’ll post photographs from the sewing guild from time to time and showcase the work these ladies are doing!

Ladies walking in their Kangas

The Kangas will be listed over the course of the week (ending Saturday) to give more people a chance to get one (they sold out in less than five hours last time!).