I have a particular weakness for patterns which offer me the opportunity to sew myself exceptional garments which standout from “the norm”. If I am going to the time and effort to sew in the first place, I want a construction challenge that is good for my skills and turns out a truly one-of-a-kind piece of clothing! Many times the best fashions are the ones which create a conversation, defy expectations, or showcase the individuality of the wearer.
Besides sourcing unique patterns from vintage or various designer offerings, Burda style is the company that I often rely on for designs not to be found elsewhere. They have changed their website as well as their approach to fashion in the last several years and so their offerings of today are not nearly as impressive to my sewing tastes as they used to be. I find the best designs to be coming from their magazines which are older than the last decade, whether that be a vintage collectible one (from which I made this 1965 dress) or a publication from 10 years ago, as is the case for this post’s dress. Good style never goes out of style, after all.
Our pictures were taken at the “Origami In the Garden” exhibit back in the summer of 2021 at the Missouri Botanical Garden. I felt that this origami inspired dress was more than appropriate for the outdoor exhibit’s stunning sculptures, as I will allude to in different ways further down in my post. To be able to sculpt something breathtaking of plain steel sheets is sort of like crafting this fabulous dress from a stiff dupioni made of “imperfect” cocoons of the unsightly silk worms!
THE FACTS:
FABRIC: a 100% raw silk dupioni in a specialty two-tone pink and yellow color way
PATTERN: Burda Style “X Wrap Dress” #106 pattern from April 2014
NOTIONS NEEDED: All I needed was lots of thread and a few scraps of interfacing.
TIME TO COMPLETE: This dress was made in about 20 hours, and was finished in March of 2021.
THE INSIDES: Most raw edges are cleanly finished in bias tape while the sleeves are strong with their French seams…as seen in the picture at left.
TOTAL COST: I ordered this fabric direct from a small silk supplier on Etsy (but who is no longer on that marketplace). The fabric was on sale for $20 a yard at a width of 60”, and I ordered two yards. Every other notion I needed to finish this dress was vintage, already in my stash through my Grandmother’s inherited collection. Thus, my total here is just under $50…what a deal!!
My own dress has clearly been influenced by the choices of other ladies on the internet who have shared their experiences with this complex pattern. Most versions of this pattern were in a solid print, which I liked to see, as such a choice nicely shows off the namesake X detail of the dress. Yet, there were a couple appealing versions which were sewn up in a bright orange (such as can be found on Catherine Daze’s Blog or Liliv on Pattern Review). I really like orange enough to wear it year ‘round (which is why these pictures are from the summer) so this was an irresistible idea. Now that it is October, I feel that sharing this eye-catching orange dress in the traditional color for fall is the perfect way to transition my project posts into more of a seasonal theme.
Nevertheless, my practical side reminded me that I do have many garments in tonal varieties of orange already. To make this dress exceptional as well as individual, I chose a very niche version of orange by using iridescent silk dupioni. I knew just by looking at the design that a fine fabric which had a lightweight yet crisp texture would be ideal, even though the instructions called for softly draping dress fabrics. There was no way the X front was going to hold its shape in anything too soft, nor would a plain fabric please me when working with a standout design that was calling to receive the “special treatment”.
The fabric is technically not a true orange, to add a curious element of irony. It is woven with a combo of hot pink and ochre yellow threads to dupe the eye from a distance into seeing orange. Upon a closer inspection (maybe 7 to 10 inches away), one can see the true divided colors of the fabric’s weave, especially since this dupioni is a raw silk which has prominent thread “slubs” (bumps) on its surface texture. This is why these kinds of fabrics are called “shot silk” or “changeable”, as well as “two-tone”. They are sometimes called iridescent fabrics for their mysteriously inherent shine (as can be seen on this Ungaro suit I made in 2020). The two thread colors become more prominent upon the creases and folds. As I move around in such a gorgeous material, the crisp yet soft hand of the fabric adds to its beauty in a way that mesmerizes me. It is the best way for me to make a ‘plain’ orange so very deluxe and interesting. I love silk anyways, but this variety of dupioni is one of the best natural fibers yet to land in my wardrobe.
Dupioni is a natural form silk fabric loomed with raw fibers. The random slubs of uneven surface threads are part of dupioni’s remarkable beauty and distinguish from shantung, a similar crisp-textured silk. It is created with fine, smooth threads in the warp and irregular thread, reeled from cocoons that are entangled together in groups of two or more, in the weft. There is an inherent closeness that is part of the natural process to this particular silk based on the knowledge of the “twin” cocoons. This stirs up some interesting reflections for me that are heighted by the sculptures I am standing with in my post’s pictures. The origami inspired sculpture behind me depicts the life stages of a butterfly called “Emerging Peace”. I cannot help but think of how silk worms never have the chance to fulfill their potential to be a winged creature, enjoying the fleeting freedom of their life’s final stage. Yet, the product of their cocoon still becomes something amazingly beautiful in its own right, worked into a fiber product to clothe humanity over the centuries. Perhaps we secretly want in on the miraculous work of these stunning creatures who so gracefully embody both strength and fragility, the same qualities for which we find ourselves mesmerized by the ethereal fibers of silk.
Against most online advice, I did pre-wash my dupioni, as I normally wash all my other silks. I almost never sew a garment that needs to be solely dry-cleaned. Silk does lose strength when wet but the dual thread density makes dupioni stronger than other weaves. The first wash surprisingly shrunk the fabric down by about 8 inches overall and crinkled it up along the selvedge. An ironing job easily fixes the wrinkles, but I found the way you iron this dupioni will affect what it becomes. A dry ironing of the dupioni is risky (as it can easily burn), very smelly, and requires finesse. Yet, it preserves the crisp feel that the fabric had before it was first washed. If you do steam ironing or press it while still wet, the dupioni becomes softer and more malleable, with greater draping abilities and less smell. The fabric does spot easily at the least bit of wetness, whether that be from the rain or my body’s sweat (as can be seen down my back from behind). Such spots dry very quickly so as to regulate my body’s temperature like a natural air-conditioning. An overall washing easily “resets” the fabric back to its original beautiful pristine luster, as long as I take the time to do the ironing required afterwards.
Thus, the care required of this dress’ dupioni is a bit of an unpleasant yet still interesting cycle. The extra dye which leeched out at the first laundering has me glad that my dress is washable, after all. I would not want that dye on my skin. More importantly, freshly washed silk does not acquire insect nibbles in this house as compared to dry cleaned items! As you can see, a water laundering does work out on fancy silk dupioni and helps this dress be suited to my needs and desires. Like a silkworm finding its final fulfillment of beauty, this dress has a transformational process as it goes from clean to dirty once again. I absolutely love the qualities and properties surrounding silk, and this dupioni has to be the most interesting yet.
Let’s get back to the dress design which is the reason the fabric is now wearable, after all. As soon as I saw it, it gave me the same intrigue that I have when I see a really curious designer garment. The structural garments of Japanese designers in particular share a similarity with this ingenious style. The simple inventiveness of Japandi architectural design no doubt gave such cultural designers an advantage. Yet, the art of origami probably furthered their understanding of manipulating simple shapes to their ultimate advantage. Thus, this dress is actually a bit of an introduction to sharing something in a follow-up blog post that will highlight a famous designer from Japan!
“Eye catching pleats have a wrap dress effect that’s contemporary and striking” was the summary given by the pattern itself. The pleats are sneaky, and only part of the X effect from the waist down. Cut-on, self-enclosed ties actually fan out from those crossed pleats to become a full collar, thus continuing the deceptive look of a wrapped front. The way Burda patterns are infamous for only having textual instructions and lacking visual aids left me more confused than normal when looking at the utterly nonsensical shapes of the dress pieces.
The blog “Make & Wear” has a pictorial step by step construction guide (to be found here) that I found very helpful. Her clear pictures and explanations of her mistakes along the way helped shed light to the odd pattern pieces. However, trusting to Burda’s instructional text actually helped me get through the last of my own difficulties with the pattern. Connecting the numbered corners was a lifesaver, thanks to water soluble fabric ink markers! Do not skip marking a single line, notch, or corner when preparing the fabric pieces for this dress. Adding interfacing squares over the corners inside is especially important, as they are the only reason my silk has not completely shredded apart at those spots.
There isn’t much I changed or adapted here. It is good just as Burda offers it. I did find that the upper bodice seems to runs on the small side, particularly the sleeves. Yet, you need a good fit in the dress’ upper half or else this would look like an oversized bag to wear. As a head’s up, this snug fit slightly concerns me only due to the delicate nature of washed dupioni, but would work out well if this dress was sewn of a stretchy knit. I left out installing the side seam zipper, just as most others had done who have also blogged about this pattern. The dress so easily pops over the head since the X shaped front opens up for plenty of room. I did still keep the side pockets. There is nothing that feels as deluxe as a fancy dress that also has the practicality of a necessary detail like pockets. I did slightly lengthen the hem length. Otherwise, the dress would have been quite short. The dip of the V neckline was slightly raised up, as well. Most of my seams were hand finished for a final special touch.
I am pleasantly surprised at the many looks this dress has. It can be very classy or even business-like. It works well with a blazer and even a belt, too. There is a gap between where the X front comes out from the pleats but the ties are not yet attached to the neckline, and a belt can cinch in the waist under the criss-cross design. Tall winter boots or opaque tights make this dress adapt for wintertime, since (as I said above) orange is for all seasons in my house and I love bright colors year ‘round! I normally do not repeat patterns such as this one that are so distinctive and not up for much change to the design, yet I can picture this dress in a dense knit, with long sleeves. Perhaps I will return to this design again in the future!
Creativity is not a finite source but is only constrained by our own limitations. Inventive garment designs are essential to moving ahead with the chronological progression of fashion. However, enabling the home seamstress or fashion conscious individual to interpret the most imaginative sewing designs aids in exploring innovative expression and keeps fashion in the hands of those who find themselves captivated by its possibilities. Smart pattern designs are an excellent way to keep alive all levels of interest in a visible display of the best ideas within our human capacity for clothing the body in a decorative manner. I encourage you to undertake this Burda pattern or any other interesting garment design that will challenge your skills and your way of thinking. It is good to try out new things and experimenting with fashion is a great way to find novel ways to discover different aspects to yourself!
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