Chanel Inspired: Lace Shimmer Dress

I actually made this dress last weekend, but this is the first chance I've had to post it. A poor lady at work is having some health issues, so I've been working a little more to help cover her. That's why I haven't been sewing all week. (Plus, Valentine's Day kind of takes your attention elsewhere. . .)

This dress is kind of bridging the gap between the Chanel stuff and the Downton Abbey stuff I have in my head (because it is so lacey).

Notice the sleeves are different. I just capped them off on this one to try something different. All I did was fold my original sleeve pattern in half and fold the fabric over along the hemline instead of sewing an actual hem. In other words, the sleeves are double thick because they are folded over at the hemline. Sorry, I was being lazy. . .and also this fabric is super stretchy and I didn't want to have to fool with hemming it.

If you can see in this close-up, I layered this see-through lace over a metallic-y fabric (the same metallic I used for the Nude Shimmer Dress).

Here is the back.

It goes really well with that top from the Flashdance Dress.

For some reason, I keep seeing women wearing lace dresses with jean jackets in magazines. . .so this must be in style! Good for me. . .

Chanel Inspired: Nude Shimmer Dress

I actually have had this dress in the back of my head ever since I received all this fabric. Apparently, someone along the line was planning on going into business making underwear or lingerie, because there was a bunch of this filmy, slip-like material in hot pink, purple, light blue, and just yards upon yards of this nude colored fabric. Since this fabric is probably intended to make undergarments, I made sure to put a double layer underneath the top layer you see pictured so it wouldn't be see-through.

I finally decided to make the dress after going to Forever 21 and finding that light pink, nude colors are really in style--especially when coupled with metalics. After watching that Chanel video, though, the dress really started to take it's shape in my mind.

To make the pattern, I simply traced my basic pattern I've been using for the longer part of my 2fer dresses and then drew a slightly curvy line down the middles of the front and the back pieces (to make the silver panels). I used the same sleeve pattern from the other dresses and the bow pattern from the Nautical Dress.

Originally, I had planned to put the silver underneath a layer of the nude so it would shine through; however, the nude is not as sheer as I'd thought. In order to actually see any shininess, the silver would have to stand on its own. That's when I got the idea to do these long panels, which also help in an optical illusion to make the wearer look thinner. . .or at least, that's what I hear.

I put the same slimming panels in the back.

I continued the same bow motif from the Nautical Dress to keep the collection coherent.

Also, the same sleeves and the same band along the bottom.