Dresses of Summer- Fashion Show

When I went to State I was part of a student organization called SADA, or Student Apparel Design Association. Every spring they would hold a fashion show for the students to showcase their work. I designed lines for 2008 and 2009. This dress is one I made for the first show. It is made from an old dress I found in my grandma's basement and went with the color scheme of my line. I wish I had a before picture of the dress to show how dated it was :)

Front

It's a simple design having a full gathered skirt and an empire waist with elastic. Its a olive green knit that was very comfortable.

It also had a scoop neck and short kimono-like sleeves.

Back

I will most definitely be showing the garments I made for the fashion show, so stay tuned!

~JV

Dresses of Summer- Graduation Dress

When I graduated from State, my parents threw a joint grad party for my youngest sister and me since she graduated from high school. I love to make new outfits for special occasions. So I picked out this pretty zigzag print to make a dress. It's from Simplicity 2694 and it's a pattern where you could mix and match different style elements. I basically just chose a dress they had designed already.

Front and Back

It's a basic A-line skirt with a sweetheart neckline and straps. Pretty simple, but that's what I usually do when working with a bold print.

Simplicity 2694 Center Dress

(Forgive the blurriness- I took it with my phone)

I'm actually in the middle of finishing a dress from this pattern that I cut out probably a year and a half ago. It's a mix of the different styles they give you. I should be done soon, so wait and see how that one turns out :)

~JV

Dresses of Summer- Luau #2

This dress was made from the same fabric as the luau dress I made for Hawaii. I actually made it for a friend's luau themed birthday party. The top is made from an old pink fitted t-shirt I hadn't worn in a while. It's a basic tank top with a gathered skirt that fit at the waist.

Front                                         Back

It's a simple dress but I think the floral print keeps it fun. I still have more of the fabric so we'll see what else I can come up with :)

~JV

Dresses of Summer- New Years Dress

I'm sure you can tell that this isn't really a dress you wear in the summer, but I really like this one so I wanted to incorporate it into July's dress blogs. This one is from Simplicity 2305. I love this purple fabric and I thought it was a great color for a fun New Years party.

Front

Back

The neckline "collar" was actually supposed to be a facing (goes on the inside and helps keep the seam flat) but it made the neck look strange. So I turned it to the outside and made it a wavy detail to the neck. The sleeves I made a little shorter and added stitching to create a cool texture.  

Simplicity 2305 View B by Cynthia Rowley

The skirts and purse are really cute so sometime in the future I'll make them. 

Just gotta find the fabric (which won't be too hard)

~JV

Dresses of Summer- Plum Dress

Here is the other dress from Simplicity 3882. This one is a plum knit spaghetti strap dress that has elastic under the bust and along the neckline that creates a gathered effect.

Front with v-neckline

Back

Simplicity 3882 View C

 This dress is super comfortable and it's mostly been a great beach dress. It's simple so you can wear it to the beach then add some great accessories to liven it up for later in the night.

~JV

Inspiration

Today I was told about a website by my sister. It's called Pinterest. It's "a virtual pinboard which allows you to organize and share all the beautiful things you find on the web. You can browse pinboards created by other people to discover new things and get inspiration from people who share your interests. People use pinboards to plan their weddings, decorate their homes, and share their favorite ideas."

My sister thought it would be a great place for me to store any ideas I find online. There are a few websites that I frequent that have wonderful ideas, clothing, and pictures in general that I save on my computer. But having an online spot to save these pictures is perfect, especially since I've created this blog. More inspiration to create unique designs.

Check out my pinboards, although they're bare since I just started.
http://pinterest.com/jvictoria/

~JV

Dresses of Summer- Double Trouble

I've missed a few days so this post includes 2 dresses. They are the same dress, made of different colors and fabrics. They are bubble dresses made from Simplicity pattern 3882 View A. They are a loose fitting design but when you add a belt, it gives a whole new look. 

Front and Back- Pretty Similar

This dress is made from an olive green knit.

-

Front and Back With Belting

I added a navy blue double belting to add a bit of a unique contrast and show the shape of the body.

Front and Back

This light salmon knit fabric is actually an old fabric my mom had for quite a while. I love the color and it actually has a unique texture to it that adds to the design.

Front and Back With Belting

The white belting keeps this pale salmon dress cute and simple.

Simplicity 3882 View A

Stay tuned for View C coming soon.

~JV