J’y vais par avion

Par avion knockoff

Par avion knockoff

Par avion knockoff

Par avion knockoff

Par avion knockoff

Par avion knockoff
dress: self-made // top: Ross // tights: Hue // boots: Clarks // earrings: thrifted

I think I’ve figured out what’s so fun about replicating designs. When you’re designing something original, you can do whatever you want with whatever you have. You get to make all of the choices. When it’s something else that someone else has created, you almost have to be more creative because the resources you have might not be the same as theirs. You have to take what you can find and somehow maneuver it or tweak it to look like something someone else created. I guess this is more valid with fantasy costumes than everyday dresses, but it still gives me a rush when I finish a project and it looks more or less like the original.

I saw this dress on Delightfully Tacky a few weeks ago and it jumped right up to the top of my to-do list. The original is (wait for it, it’s totally shocking!) by Dear Creatures. (No seriously, I’m slightly embarrassed and considering renaming my blog The Dear Creatures Fan Club.) I used Burda 7309 for the bodice and collar, but extended the front piece sideways by a few inches and cut two of them (well, technically four including the lining) in order to create the double-breastedness. Since the Burda collar only has front pieces, I also had to draft a back piece that goes around the neck and connects the two front ones. That took a bit of trial and error. I have no idea what the technical term is for the way I pleated the skirt but I’m going to call it a double box pleat because that’s essentially what I did. There’s also an extra snap button right under the left collar holding that side of the bodice up.

Holy crap though, nine buttons and a zipper does not make this the most practical piece of clothing to get in and out of!

Now I want to make this blouse to wear under it!

26 thoughts on “J’y vais par avion”

  1. Love, love, love this! So cute and classy! Question, how did you attach the collar? I’m slightly worried about a collar project I’m currently working on, so just curious =D

    1. Thanks! :]

      I attached the collar by folding the seam allowance of the top/bottom of the collar and ironing it, and then sandwiching it around the neckline and sewing it down. You can see the stitching if you pop the collar up but not if it’s folded down. Let me know if that made absolutely no sense and I can take a picture to clarify. xx

  2. Love, love, love this! So cute and classy! Question, how did you attach the collar? I’m slightly worried about a collar project I’m currently working on, so just curious =D

    1. Thanks! :]

      I attached the collar by folding the seam allowance of the top/bottom of the collar and ironing it, and then sandwiching it around the neckline and sewing it down. You can see the stitching if you pop the collar up but not if it’s folded down. Let me know if that made absolutely no sense and I can take a picture to clarify. xx

  3. WOW! It looks exactly the same! Most people wouldn’t even realize that they are two different dresses, much less that one was recreated by hand. Amazing! I absolutely adore that double pleating, I need to try to make it one of these days. How did you calculate those into the pattern?

    1. Aww thanks! I was actually just experimenting with how to get the double pleated effect and somehow it ended up being almost the perfect amount of pleatedness (it was about 1″ too short so I had to do some adjusting). This tutorial has a great explanation for how to do box pleats and I’m 99% sure you can get proper measurements for a double pleat by doubling the width of the pleats themselves (the distance between pleats would stay the same though). http://www.burdastyle.com/projects/pleated-paper-bag-skirt/instructions/1

      1. It looks intricate and intimidating but it doesn’t sound that difficult. I’ll definitely be trying this type of pleating on a skirt soon. Thanks for the tip and link!

  4. I love this you are so freaking clever replicating these dresses you cant even tell the difference with this one. Such an amazing little outfit!!

  5. I love this you are so freaking clever replicating these dresses you cant even tell the difference with this one. Such an amazing little outfit!!

  6. Oh my, so neat!
    I ‘m making this dress also (by that I mean, a drew the dress and did some math for the pleats, but how on earth did you install the zipper?
    I stared and stared at the original dress, and only saw that the front ‘flap’ stopped being sewn on the skirt in the middle of the dress, but I couldn’t find any zipper.
    Did you sew yours in one of the pleats?

    1. Oh cool! Yeah I’m actually pretty pleased with how well the zipper stays hidden on this one. I kept trying and failing to explain how I inserted it so I took a picture instead. You can see it here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/peneloping/13367036864/in/photostream/ (Also not sure what kind of pleats you’re planning on doing but the ones on this dress are double-pleated which I think helps to hide the zipper.)

      Let me know if it still makes no sense! And definitely let me know when you’ve finished, I’d love to see yours 🙂

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