Oscar de la Renta Poppy Floral Taffeta & Vogue 1303 (Goodbye Valentino)

What do you get when you cross an Oscar de la Renta Taffeta with a Kay Unger pattern and a left-handed seamstress?

It’s not the first time I’ve sewn the mirror image of an asymmetrical pattern and I doubt it will be my last :)

I a m s o h a p p y to be sewing whatever strikes my fancy again at the Mood Sewing Network!

As soon as I wrapped up the final post-wedding details, I retrieved this Oscar de la Renta Poppy Red Floral Silk Taffeta from my Mood Fabrics stash. The bright colors and cheerful design were just what the doctor ordered to get me back to the sewing machine after a summer of wedding duties ;)

http://www.goodbyevalentino.com #oscar de la renta, vogue patterns

Perhaps I could have gone the instant gratification route, but with the pressure off I had fun making a muslin, fitting a pattern and even using a new zipper technique! I purchased my pattern, Vogue 1303 nearly three years ago at a glance on sale. Upon later reading the instructions I realized the midriff sash is actually a waist inset without petite adjustments.

The muslin was not a pretty picture and I quickly knew this bias cut waist inset would not work for me.

My solution was to cut and sew the waist lining pattern pieces as the inset since they were easier to alter and free of bulk. Once the dress fit, I made a bias cut lined sash, placed it over the inset, and basted the ends along the seamlines.

http://www.goodbyevalentino.com #oscar de la renta, vogue patterns

I assumed the large floral fabric would be forgiving, but fortunately, there was nothing to forgive! The taffeta is the perfect fabric choice for holding the crisp pleats in the sash, and the alterations surprisingly worked like a charm.

I also discovered taffeta offers versatility beyond formal attire!

http://www.goodbyevalentino.com #oscar de la renta, vogue patterns

Thanks to the Craftsy Mastering Zipper Techniques Class which is a FREE class, I inserted my first issue-free lapped zipper in less than 10 minutes!

http://www.goodbyevalentino.com #oscar de la renta, vogue patterns

It’s true – all of the sewing I’ve done over the last three years and no lapped zipper.

But the best lesson of all this week was rediscovering the pleasure of pursuing a passion when unencumbered by external pressures and stress. Happiness can be hard to define sometimes but I know it when I feel it!

http://www.goodbyevalentino.com #oscar de la renta, vogue patterns

Until soon :)

Disclosure: I am pleased to be a Craftsy affiliate and receive compensation when you purchase classes or join Craftsy. I agreed to become a Craftsy affiliate after several successful Craftsy experiences. With the exception of Sew the Perfect Fit, I have purchased all Craftsy classes and provide an honest class review and opinion.The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in this blog.