My version of Gertie's Wiggle Dress - Step Two: Finished Dress

I have finished my version of Gertie's Wiggle dress.  I made the muslin and learned how to do two new techniques (underarm gussets and a vent in the back of the skirt).  I am also glad I made it because I realized that I needed to cut a size smaller if it was going to look right.  Here is the result.

 I picked a red polyester/wool blend.  Then, after I had the dress mostly done except for some hand sewing when I noticed that there are a lot of seasons of Man Men available on Netflix... so I dug in and spied this on episode 6 of season one.

It is really almost the same dress.  The back of the Gertie dress is a v and the one Joan is wearing on  Mad Men is rounded, but otherwise the fit and the style are really similar.  In a good way. This is my best Joan impression.  I didn't have a table in front of the camera, so I just leaned over and looked at the camera like I meant business. Or I was hungry.  Either way.

I love the lapped zipper and the v in the back.  I'll be honest, if it weren't for some fine foundation garments, there is no way I would post a photo of my backside.  But here it is.  I love you, foundation garment.  And chocolate.  I love you, too, chocolate.  I'll never give you up.

 Mine still isn't as tight as Joan's dress.  I decided that I might want to sit, move or breathe sometimes when wearing it, so I made it a little looser.  Maybe with a true stretch fabric, I could make it more fitted.

 The Details:
Fabric: 2 1/2 yards from SAS: 10.00 - content unknown... it was on the sale pile.
Zipper from SAS: .25
Organza for gussets: 1/4 yard: 2.50
Fusible Interfacing: leftover from another project: 0.00
Total: $12.75
 Pattern: Wiggle Dress from Gertie 's New Book for Better Sewing

Other Details:
The inside seams are sergered, except for the facing, which I applied a bias tape to.  I wasn't going to do the facings at all and switch to bias binding, but in the end, I just didn't want to deviate from the pattern.  I think I will be sewing this again, so I'll try bias instead of facings on the next version.  Bottom line it that I love this dress and would definitely recommend sewing it.  It goes together really quickly with not much hand-sewing.  There are only four pattern pieces if you don't count the facings. 

Tracing around the pattern pieces is a little annoying (see Wiggle Dress, step 1), but in the end, worth it.

I am still not convinced I've sewn something I can wear to the office, though.  It is a little more "LOOK AT ME!" than I generally go with.  Someday I will sew something practical.  But not even the next dress because it is another version of this pattern.  I am also anxious to try another one of Gertie's patterns from the book.

I am happy to submit this dress into the Mad Men challenge this year on Julia Bobbin's blog.  I can't wait to see the other entries! Everyone always does such a good job.

 

Image from Julia Bobbin's Blog.