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Pattern Hacking: The Queen's Gambit Check Dress #Sewing #Cosplay

Hi all,

This project has been keeping me busy for a while now. 

It all started earlier this year when, tuning into Netflix, I saw The Queen's Gambit come up as a recommendation. 

Now, I'd heard about the show last year. Friends and family said how brilliant it was. But I didn't get around to watching it until, I think it was mid-February this year. 

Well, as soon as Youngest saw the check dress Beth wears, you know the one that swooshes when she walks, she was like, I need that dress!

Me being me, "no problem, I can make one of those..."

Little did I realize what I was letting myself in for!

The thing is, I've searched high and low for a pattern for the dress. It's proved to be a fruitless search. A pattern for this dress just doesn't exist. I've found some close possibilities but nothing has been spot on. I have spent an age on eBay and more than a few pennies trying to get a usable pattern.

Here are some of the ones I've looked at:

First up Vogue V2903

Vogue V2903

While this one is pushed on the internet as being an exact match for the check dress Beth wears. It isn't. I go through the reasons why not in the video link below. 

Here are a few more I've looked at and thought, um... nope.

Butterick 4085

Butterick 6091

McCalls 6484

Simplicity 2646

Simplicity 2864

Vogue 7848

Vogue 8287



It was at this point I thought, I'm just buying patterns for the sake of it. There's only one solution. I'm going to have to draft a pattern from scratch. 

Now, I've never drafted a dress pattern from scratch before. I've tweaked them, altered them and added the skirt from one to the bodice of another. But, I've never designed one from nothing.

In the end, I chickened out and decided a pattern-hack was the way to go. I would have to combine elements of the patterns above to create the look I was after. 

This was either going to go really well... or end badly.

Watch my video to see how I got on and the fun I had making the first mock-up. 

There are a few "Doh!" moments! 

Enjoy! :D 

Bye for now

Olly

 

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Comments

  1. Unknown5 June 2021 at 20:12

    Hello, I really like your channel. I have an old sewing machine. It has it's issues. I was thinking about purchasing a new machine. Do you have any recommendations on new machines?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Olly9 June 2021 at 14:32

      Hi, thanks for reaching out to me! I've written a blog post on Best Sewing Machines 2021: https://simplystitchy.blogspot.com/2020/12/my-review-of-best-sewing-machines-for.html - all the machines I'm happy to recommend are included. Which machine you go for depends on the kind of sewing you do. Either the Brother CS6000i or the Singer Quantum Stylist 9960 are great all-round machines. Happy machine hunting and thanks for watching!

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