YSL Mondrian Dress: Finished!

Much to my amazement, the dress is done! I'm very pleased with how it came out; I can easily see wearing this to other events. Hmm... I've got a reception coming up at the Smithsonian... I could definitely wear it there!

The front view:

And the back view:

BTW, this back view is true to the original. A friend from the Creative Machine list (hi, Bill!) sent me a runway shot showing the color blocking of the back of the dress.

Anyway, the details: I decided against adding a lining; it really didn't need one. I was worried the fabric would be too translucent, but it's not, so why add the extra layer? Instead, I added a one-piece facing (which actually created a head-scratcher: how to sew it in completely by machine? Answer: very carefully.). And, since it's a knit fabric, I didn't have to finish the edge of the facing.

For the hem, I cut another yellow band piece and attached it to the bottom edge with a 1/4" seam, then folded it up and stitched the raw edge to the seam allowance between the outer yellow band and bottom black band. This way, nothing shows from the outside, and I didn't lose much of the yellow. In retrospect, I should have cut the yellow band about half an inch wider, but it ended up looking pretty good anyway.

There's also no zipper. I put an invisible zipper in the left side when I put the shell together yesterday, but discovered I could pull it over my head easily without the zipper, so I took it out.

I found these nice black strappy heels in my closet, and they go pretty well with the dress, so I'll be wearing them. I'd love to wear a pair of red pumps that I have, but a sore toe joint just won't let me wear something with a 3-inch heel. Darn! As for the hair, I'm going to use some of the leftover white fabric to make a triangle scarf, and bind it with the black. Very retro!

Tomorrow's weather promises to be sunny and hot, so this is going to be the perfect dress for the party!