Red dress with white hibiscus flower pattern - and several surprises! Dress of the Day 387.



Red dress with pattern of white hibiscus flowers. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

This dress was full of surprises. It has been an education in plants, fabrics and how to add belts to caftans and other clothes. 

I saw the dress in the one pound container in St Luke's charity shop which raises money for hospices in London, England. One pound is the equivalent of one dollar 30 cents, in September 2024. The bargain box, contains things which have not sold as fast as other items. 

I saw this dress. Did I need it? No. But I like red and it was long. It was a bargain. I bought it.

When I got home, I tried it on. It was long. 

 Flower Pattern - hibiscus

 I love this pattern. I think of it as Hawaian or tropical flowers. Looking carefully, I see that the flowers have five petals. A long stamen. What is the flower?

After an online search, I found it in real life as a plant for sale in gardening suppliers. The flower is hibiscus.

Angela Lansbury in red dress with white hibiscus pattern. Copyright Angela Lansbury.


 Label Mia Moda

The label says Mia Moda. Alliterative. Italian for my fashion.

 Size 16.

Helpful Side Zip - Surprise One!

I was thinking, I could add a long zip down the back.Then, when I as turning it inside out, looking for the label, I found a side zip!

Belt and Tabs

The belt is a ribbon, but a strong ribbon. Matt. Matching the surface of the fabric. 

Ribbed - crossgrain. Crossgrain means the grain or ribbing goes across. (Woven across the horizontal weft.) I am a bit puzzled by this.Surely all fabric has that? But here the grain is very visible.

Crossgrain Ribbon Belt - Surprise Two!

Shiny satin ribbon is my favourite. It gleams. It attracts attention. It is brightly cooured. It looks eveningy. It is luxurious. Smart.

Howerver, satin ribbons don't stay fixed in bows. The bow comes undone. The ribbon slides off. I am now in favour of a crossgrain ribbon. I am looking to buy some. I already have several spools of shiny satin effect ribbons from Daiso and Spotlight in Singapore and Hobbycraft in London England.

The Belt Loops OrTabs - Another Surprise

The next surprise was the belt tabs. Only two. Not where you would expect them, and where I have just sewn green ribbon tabs onto a tunic so I could add a satin ribbon belt, which needed two lopps to stop it sliding up and down down on one side, and off.

These two tabs and at the back, slightly inwards from the side seam. They are not visible from the front. Very secure. Flat. with a flat or square thread line across the top of the tiny vertical oblong holder. Neat. The position is the surprise. Also, they are made from the fabric of the dress, the plain part of the red background. 

Hidden Palms - Last Surprise

I took a photo of the dress pattern. Close-up. Wearing the dress. Sitting down. Why? My husband is too busy working to photograph me. I could stand up, blance the mobile phone on a high work surface and set a timer and stand back. But I was in a hurry.

So I took a photo of the fabric, of my lap. Looking down, I saw little grey palm trees. On the fabric. Upside down! I had not noticed them before. 

Had the dressmaker not noticed them? Dresses in factories are made in a hurry by the cutters and stitchers. They don't bother matching the fabric pattern at the seams. If you took a fabric such as a back piece and cut it in half to insert a zip, any flower or design across the join would be short of a centmetre or two in the middle, but still matching. However, when you just cut pieces randomly to stitch together, they don't match up. Often it doesn't notice to passers by and even onlookers, only to the wearer.. Top quality garments would have patterns matching across the seams, certainly down the front. 

How can you avoid this problem? By planning and taking care to match both sides. Or, you can have a plain fabric rather than patterned. Choose a design with a straight front piece with the zip at the side or back. If you make a mistake, or buy an item with two different sides, left and right not matched, add a ribbon across the join. When making your own with not enough fabric to match, make a mosaic of pieces at all angles. Finally, wear a covering jacket or waistcoat. 

I cropped out the background and creases. 

I found a Mia Moda boutique in the USA and online. They have lots of midi and maxi drsses.

Petersham ribbon is similar to crosgrain, strong but flexible, used for hatbands.

The Red Jacket

The red jacket label is Jacques Vert.

The shell and lining are both 100% Polyester. It says dry clean only. I never dry clean clothes. Too expensive. There was a time when I would not buy anything which said dry clean only. 

The size is UK 16, F 14, D 42 , USA 12.

Useful Websites

https://www.uptownatelier.com/create-your-happy/what-is-grainline#:

https://www.simplyribbons.com/blog/post/history-of-grosgrain-ribbon-and-the-difference-between-it-and-petersham

(Writing more and adding photos in the next hour or two.)

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