DIY: The Scissor Dress

Y'all probably know this by now but I'm on the cutting edge of fashion. My designs are, like, super sharp and on point. It's with shear delight that I dream up these crazy ensembles. I can get pretty snippy when what I've got in my wee little head doesn't work out...but when it does, I treat myself to a slice of pizza (I promise I'm almost done here). Shall we CUT to the chase?!

I made a scissor dress, y'all!

So I've been wanting to make a Matisse-inspired ensemble for a while...and while this is NOT it, the idea of creating a look that resembled his cut paper designs is what inspired this dress. If you follow me on Insta, you've seen the start of my Matisse dress (I'm struggling with it tho so I'd love some advice: have y'all ever used a free-motion foot? If I want to stitch something with many curved edges, is that what I'd need?). I'm excited that this dress came out of that other idea. I love how one idea can lead to another.

Please pardon the cat hair. Friends allergic to cats, I'm sure this photo alone gives you the sniffles. I found this dress at H&M and knew immediately that it would be perfect for my scissor dress idea.

 I mean, check out that neckline. Perfect! I started by sketching my pair of scissor directly onto the dress with chalk. Then I traced my lines onto a sheet of lining (seen below) and used that as my pattern pieces. 

 It really was so super easy. Originally, I was going to use silver fabric for the scissors but I couldn't find it in my stash. Instead I used the metallic silver velvet I had and red velvet. I think that was a much better choice. Stitching that thin shiney fabric is a real drag as it aways gets runs and puckers in it. I backed the blades with two pieces of shirting (that stuff you see above) and it made it so simple to stitch.

The scissor handles were a little more difficult. I only backed them with one piece of the shirting, not realizing it would make a difference. It did. It was more tricky to stitch and the lines aren't as clean and even. I'm okay with that tho. The curved lines can also be a drag to sew.

When I popped the dress up on Insta while it was on my mannequin, I got several, "uh, girl, you gonna wear something underneath that?!" comments. Y'all. I'm not J. Lo! I just so happened to have THE PERFECT fabric in my stash: the scissor fabric. And in the right color way too. See, being a fabric hoarder does have it's benefits. I used the Scout Tee pattern by Grainline Studio. I love that pattern as I can whip up a top in just over an hour. 

Did I mention that the dress has pockets? YAZ, KWEEN. Pockets give me life!

Today, I popped into the gym to chat with my P.E. buddies. When I did, the fourth graders asked if I was going to play Capture the Flag with them. One girl piped up, "She can't play! She might cut herself!" Good one, kid. Slow clap.