Finished: Marnie Dress from The Hour

If you recall, I said I was working on one of Bel's dresses from The Hour for the Copycat Challenge, and I still am! Draping and not using any sort of a pattern is fun and creative, but it's also much slower. Since I ultimately want to make all the dresses from The Hour and I just happened to find this gorgeous cotton fabric from my fabric shop AND I've been waiting for the perfect fabric to use for Bluegingerdoll's Billie Jean dress, I decided to go ahead and make a Marnie dress!

Marnie, as you may recall, is my new favorite housewife from the television show The Hour played the lovely Oona Chaplin.

Look I even did the pearls! Couldn't figure out the hair roll though...

This dress has been on my list for awhile, but it looks like lace or at least embroidery and I figured it would be awhile until I got to it, but then I found this gorgeous cotton print - yes, cotton! - at my local fabric store that resembled the embroidered lace. Perfect for me to start right away.

It's a heavyweight cotton, and I was afraid it would be too heavy, but I find that it works perfectly as a dress.

I used the Billie Jean pattern for this dress, and it sewed up so quickly and easily.

I cut a size 4 for the top and a size 8 for the bottom. I fall in between sizes so I should have cut a size 10 because there's no ease and while I working the dress up, I discovered that the back didn't meet. Oops.

Instead of adding a panel or additional fabric, I decided that I would just put the zipper in and hope for the best. There was a bit of stretch in the right direction so I figured if all else failed, I could just take a picture on the dress form and call it a day.

But somehow, when I zipped it up most of the way and then wiggled myself into, it fit! It's a little tight - okay, it's very tight - but I can sit and move and it's somehow still comfortable so I'm happy.

I did make another adjustment. The dress is meant to be off the shoulder and as I hate strapless bras and feeling like something is falling off my shoulder, I had to do something about that. I adjusted the front per Abby's instructions to pinch out certain areas and then I added several inches to make it go over my shoulder. I'm pretty pleased with the result!

Oh, and one more! Everyone complains that you can't move in wiggle dresses, but you can. You just need more ventilation. I added an additional 5 inches to this vent because I'm a fast walker and I have got to move quickly! (Or else I start hyperventilating for real.)

See the zipper? I'm calling it a design feature.

Oh so the fact that it's too tight also means something else: you can see the zipper. Usually that sort of thing makes me crazy, but I really like the look, and I'm thinking about exchanging my not-so-invisible zipper for a metal visible one that might really add a bit more to the look.

Additionally, you must forgive the hair. I put it in a sock bun and decided it didn't need bobby pins because I was only going to be out for five minutes, but the wind had different ideas. Oh well, I've never been known for my impeccable hair anyway.

This is officially my second wiggle dress and I think they're so fun to make! It's so interesting how at the right angles, you looking stunning and gorgeous but then you turn and you're like, "WOW, is that all my ass?"

But it is, and it's lovely and everyone has body parts sticking out in wiggle dresses. How can you not? I suppose it's like that with all clothing, but wiggle dresses are just better at showing it. ;-)

Stay tuned for my Bel dress! I should have it up this weekend.

Inspiration: The Hour

I have a confession. I don't actually want to wear any of the dresses on Mad Men.

Don't tell anyone because I'm quite embarrassed about it. But I feel like there's vintage that can be worn whenever because it's classic and then there's vintage that is nice to look at, but very dated and belongs in museums or on tv. I think Mad Men falls into the latter category, which is why I always have so many problems choosing a dress for Julia Bobbin's challenge (which I love and obviously made a dress for and will continue to participate in every year).

I typically want, at a minimum, to update either the fabric or the style, and I've always accepted that that was normal. Because Mad Men is a historical show.

But then. Then I came across a show that has been dubbed "Britain's version of Mad Men."

I watched The Hour, expecting it to be good as most British shows that make it across the pond are. (Hopefully that works both ways and you guys only get our best, but somehow I doubt it.)

However, and I fully expect this to be controversial, I think The Hour is better than Mad Men. It's a little different so it's not necessarily a fair comparison (it's about news journalists at the BBC uncovering stories vs an advertising firm thinking up clever slogans), but not only do I think the writing better, but I think the dresses are better. Like, I would wear them as is.

Look at this beautiful cast! You have Sissy in the back on the stairs, a minor character with the most adorable outfits. Lix, bottom left, is a kick ass journalist who wears trousers and button down blouses. (She won't be featured here because of said outfits, but she's great.) Oona Chaplin plays Marnie, the wife of the lead anchor. (Guys. GUYS. I LOVE Betty Draper. Sure, she has issues and isn't perfect, but her character is fantastic, and I understand why she's so bored and depressed and hateful and I will always defend her... but Marnie is my new favorite housewife. Betty is who I'm afraid I'll turn into. Marnie is someone worth turning into.) And lastly, someone who should be front and center is Bel, the television producer who's trying to turn out her news program each week. I suppose you could call her the "Peggy" of the show, but that would really do Bel a disservice.

Okay so I'll try to refrain from telling you how amazing everyone is (because you're already downloading the first 2 seasons, right??) and focus on the outfits. Which I adore.

(And look, I made collages which are hopefully easier than scrolling through a hundred pictures!)

So Sissy is the young assistant. She wears the most adorable outfits. Usually it's colorful dresses with full skirts, but she also wears embroidered sweaters that I frequently drool over. And the neck ties! Love them.

And Marnie! As the housewife, she wears your standard full skirts, but they're always so interesting. The pink outfit, top left, is very, well, pink, but I feel like when it's paired with the black stripe it's rather unusual, as is the way it's sewn together. The blouse, while seemingly plain, has these great pleats near the neckline which gives it so much more interest.

The fabric in the center top has tassels on it! Which is so fun, and something I would normally pass by in the store. The center outfit is just so perfect: an a-line skirt with an embroidered sweater and a neck tie. (Clearly I need to get on and make some embroidered sweaters and neck ties!)

And the bottom left is a simple lace dress. My fabric store just got in some fabric that resembles lace but isn't, and I think I might try to replicate it. Of course, I'd love to replicate them all. I pulled all of these photos because the necklines and fabric choices are so creative.

And Bel is the producer. As such she wears very simply, business type clothing. Mostly pencil skirts and jackets. (I just adore that red plaid skirt.) Sometimes pencil dresses. She also has fantastic necklines with lots of pleating. The top right is an evening gown that is so simple and stylish. Romola Garai, the actress, actually complained that her character was dressed too nicely for the time period and her station. That may or may not be true, but I do love how her outfits are all business, yet still feminine.

And let's talk about this coat for a moment. I think this would be perfect to make for fall. It looks so cozy and stylish. And I'm such a fan of hounds-tooth.

But actually, I'll be making this dress first. As part of the Copycat Challenge, I'm making this pencil dress, and I'm self-drafting it. I spent most of yesterday trying to figure out the top. I had a general idea of how to make it, but then I couldn't get the neckline to lay flat.

Anyway, I've pretty much figured it out (I think) and I've started sewing it up. If all goes according to plan, I'll have it done this week and then I'll be able to make TWO outfits from The Hour, on my way to sewing them all!

Has anyone seen The Hour? Can we please talk about how amazing it is? (And if you happen to think I've just finished it and that's why I'm obsessed, you'd be wrong. I've seen the whole series three times over the past year.)