Recreating a 50s Cocktail Dress - Part 2

inspiration

Second verse, same as the first, a little bit louder and a little bit worse!    (except, actually, awesomer)

I used Tanit-Isis' suggestion of zigzagging over a second thread to speed up the gathering for the second gathered panel.   (Basically, the zig-zag acts as a casing, its pretty clever and quite quick.)   I also decided to add in a pocket -- lipbalm addict that I am, I had no intention of allowing myself to be tied to a purse all evening.   As this whole thing is made of gathers, I decided to be sneaky  and make it a part of the panel, the opening of which would just be one more.

Fun with math!

I wanted it right over my right hip, so I found the point one quarter of the way along the panel, folded out a foot and added it to the end.  Easy as pie. 

sneaky pocket with my camera case peeking out

Once I have the bottom sewn in pace, I'll sew up part of the side -- but the whole thing is made out of a single piece of fabric.   Also, looking at the skirt as a whole, I seem to have overestimated the the depth of the panels, because its just about to my knees right now with only two of them.   While odds are good this is actually correct as the dress in question in probably tea-length, I find right below the knee to be more flattering, so my version may only have three panels....  (But then, I plan to wear heels, so I can actually get away with a whole lot more skirt...  so, who knows.  Fun with mystery and confuuuusion.)

current state of the skirt -- still pre-ironing