The finished Ceylon dress!

Fabric: linen-cotton mix
Pattern: Colette patterns Ceylon dress
Time to complete: well, quite a few hours, mainly due to making the fabric covered buttons, the bound buttonholes and the seam finishing.

I love the vintage feel of this dress!
It goes together really easy, even if there are quite a few pattern pieces. I've cut size 2. The fit is great, the dropped waist is really flattering. I shortened the hem by 2.5 cm and finished it with lace and added an invisible zipper to the side seam.

Details on the Ceylon dress

   

Fabric covered buttons and bound buttonholes

I decided to do fabric covered buttons and make three bound buttonholes.
For the buttons I purchased a set (they only had one, for 5 buttons the other 3 packages arrive next tuesday...)
The pattern calls for 3/4 inches buttons, which is 16 mm. The set came with clear instructions and making the buttons was so easy!



  

I decided to reinforce the fabric with Vliseline facing:

    

     

     



It is going to look like this:



As for the buttonholes I used the Sewaholic tutorial here. My buttons are 19 mm (diameter), so I'm going to make 20 mm long buttonholes. I was hesitating a bit which width to use for the lips, then I decided to go with the 3 mm wide ones.
Here is a try-out buttonhole! I reinforced the back of the fabric again:

    

     

Not perfect yet, but definitely not bad!

Progress on the Ceylon dress

I used the same trick for cutting the pieces and matching the stripes as on my green Lonsdale dress here.
For assembling the bodice pieces I found it easier to stitch two pieces together, then press and topstitch instead of the suggested way in the pattern description (which is: staystitch not gathered edge, fold and press, then topstitch it on the right side to the gathered edge)
I'm not sure how to finish the edges this time. I might use bias finish. Still have to think about...
I'm already thinking how to skip the 18 buttonholes. The main reason for this is that I don't have a buttonhole sewing program on my sewing machine (a 1960's model) and since I wanted a fitted dress I'm afraid of gaping holes between the buttons when sitting. I'm planning to use the invisible zipper trick. Add an invisible zipper to the side seam on the left and close the front, except for the top 2 buttons. I'm going to add all the buttons on the front because I like the look of it, but they won't be functional.
I'm thinking of using fabric covered buttons. I found a great and clear tutorial for making fabric covered buttons here Though first I have to see what is available here in the local shop for sewing supplies.

The back of the bodice:


Close-up of the gathering and topstitching:



I decided to use stay tape on some of the pieces: on the lower edges of the midriff pieces, which are going to be attached to the skirt and the upper edge of the bodice pieces, under the yokes (I used the one that sticks when pressed, so there is no need to sew them. Easy!)

Fitting the Ceylon muslin

Here are the pics of the Ceylon dress muslin. I've cut size 2 and it fits perfectly. There are 2 things I need to change:
- I want a little flatter curved front yoke
- the upper curve of front bodice piece under the yoke must be shortened a bit

Today I prewashed my fabric (a linen-cotton mix)







Here you can see that there is some bulking under the yoke:



Here it is gone:



I marked the line on the muslin with w pencil:



And transferred the change on the pattern piece:

Making the Ceylon dress muslin

   
As usual, I only made a muslin of the bodice, with one sleeve.
There are so many lovely details on this dress! I really love the '40's feel of it!
I want a fitted dress, so looking at the measurements I should choose size 4, but looking at the finished measurements I wanted to make a size 2 muslin to start with. Now it is too late to fit the muslin, decided to wait for the daylight tomorrow.

New dress plans

Yesterday I've received my first Colette pattern. I can't believe how beautiful the packaging is!

I choose the Ceylon dress, which is a fourties style shirtdress:
"Shirt dress with inset waist, slightly dropped and curved waistline, and curved neckline yoke. Gathers at the bust provide fullness, while the skirt is gathered at the front and generously flared. Sleeves are short and puffed. Closes with 16 buttons down the center front."
as stated on the website of Colette patterns

There is a little booklet with the instructions sewn into the pattern enveloppe:

And here is the fabric I choose, a linen-cotton mix, greyish blue with white stripes. I think It will look beautyful!
First up to the muslin...