Trapeze

I found an out of print McCalls pattern last year that was described as a trapeze dress. It had a definite 60's vibe and I had all kinds of fabric ideas for it. But it, along with all other sewing projects, lay sidelined while my post-vaccine life speeded up. Finally, in August, I decided to force some creative time for myself by entering a sewing contest on the Sewing Pattern Review site. It was a month-long contest and the subject was Ankara fabrics. I decided I would make the trapeze dress with some wild pink & orange Vlisco fabric that I purchased from Etsy last year. 

The pattern instructions were straightforward but after pinning the pattern onto my dress form I realized quite a lot of alterations were needed. The pattern was a size 10 and my normal pattern size is 14. That was quite a huge jump in sizes and because this was a vintage pattern, multiple sizes weren't included. My biggest alterations were in the upper torso and armhole area, which were cut close to the body. I also decided that instead of a zipper, I would create a back opening with button closure. I added pockets, something which I consider a necessity in all women's garments. Finally, I cut the length of the dress by about two inches.

After much studying of YouTube tutorials, web articles and my own notes, I was ready to sew the dress with some trepidations. My lack of confidence is due to lack of practice - it's been a year since I sewed anything of significance, and decades since I sewed complicated items like coats and suits.

Meanwhile, since I was making so many alterations to customize the pattern, I decided to make a second trapeze dress with longer sleeves. It was an opportunity to order more Vlisco fabric, this time directly from the Netherlands. The fabric I chose was named in honor the singer, Angelique Kidjo.   

Was relieved and thrilled that both dresses came out exactly as imagined. They will be perfect for the many gallery and studio events that I participate in and with Indian Summer on its way, I might actually be able to wear them without a shirt or leggings underneath.

THE REUNION MUUMUU

Just ahead of the COVID travel shut-down, my high school class held its reunion in Oahu, Hawaii in February. Last summer, when I was making reservations with my friends for an Airbnb condo, the thought of getting a muumuu popped into my head. This was irrational, as I knew that muumuus went out of fashion eons ago. Still, in my mind's eye, this was the quintessential garment to wear to a 50-year reunion in Paradise with friendly classmates from around the world. I was not seeking an inexpensive sack-like muumuu that could double as a nightgown after the reunion. No, my dream muumuu would be one of those slender full-length gowns worn by Hawaiian Royalty. It was to have interesting details such as ruffles, fluttery sleeves or a train. I wanted the fabric to be tropical: floral, leafy or oceanic. It was still seven months away from our reunion and I had plenty of time to acquire this perfect garment. 

So the search began, starting with Amazon. Their selections were of the short nightgown variety so I went on to Etsy and Ebay. They had better selections, particularly in the vintage section. I found a lovely second-hand muumuu on Etsy, but someone else got there first. Not discouraged, I realized that a large number of vintage patterns were also available. Some were from familiar pattern houses and others were from Hawaiian pattern companies that no longer existed. The one I selected was made by Kekahi. Upon closer inspection of the simple line drawings, I found that the dress incorporated some nice details, such as a Watteau train, petal sleeves and long darts to create a curve in the dress. I hadn't sewn in 30 years but how difficult could it be to sew my own muumuu? Inspired by the pattern, I began the search for fabric. That part of it was more straightforward because an acquaintance had turned me on to a Dutch company called Vlisco. They manufactured high-end batik fabrics for African designers and sewing enthusiasts. Their selection of fabrics were perfect for a muumuu. I chose a lovely abstract wave pattern. 

Despite starting the project in July, it took me all the way into January to complete the muumuu. There were plenty of detours along the way. First, the Etsy vendor misplaced the pattern and ended up refunding me. By the time she fessed up on the reason for her delay in sending me the pattern, my beautiful fabric from Vlisco had arrived. I did a desperate internet search and finally found the same pattern in a Hawaiian store in Texas. Then when the pattern finally arrived two weeks later and I measured the pattern pieces, I realized several adjustments had to be made. It was daunting to calculate the changes and work them in since I hadn't done pattern alterations in many years. I sewed a muslin first just to make sure I had measured correctly and was thrilled when the sample dress fit perfectly. I had just enough time to cut the fabric and mark it before putting everything on hold while I traveled to Japan to visit family, worked on an exhibition, prepared for open studios, drove down to LA and held a Holiday art fair. Finally, in December, I was ready to start sewing. Everything went smoothly until I foundered on the directions for making the Watteau train. My brain couldn't process the written directions. I finally found a YouTube video and realized that it was simply a large inverted pleat. The muumuu was finally finished in mid-January. Despite everything, it came out quite nicely and the reunion was a great deal of fun. Our class of 1970 is tight-knit and diverse, and we get together somewhere in the world every five years. I wonder where our next one will be? 

WHAT I LIKE ABOUT THE REUNION MUUMUU

• All of the details - deep darts, petal sleeves, Watteau train, the full length
• The multi-size pattern, which made it easier for me make adjustments
• The gorgeous Vlisco print, which looked like the Hawaiian ocean
• The cool temperature of the cotton fabric - as is typical of batik fabric
• I skipped the back zipper. It wasn't necessary.

WHAT COULD IMPROVE

• Pattern directions were sometimes too brief. No visual illustration.
• I had to add in seam allowances.
• I wish the Vlisco fabric didn't have the gold overlay on the fabric design. 
• I need to add in the back darts so that the yoke isn't constantly falling off my shoulder
• No pockets!