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New surf dress.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 9:33 am
by Jack Williams
Madness reigns.
I've decided to construct a couple of surf dresses out of junk.
It must be a quirk of mine, but not that uncommen I believe, that wet, or dress swimming is a whole lot of fun.
However, surfing in dresses is a bit potentially hard on them as you for instance come right in and grind the chest on the sand.
The Silkbody dress with it's big long skirt was definitely the best in those videos on the Coromandel, but that is basically a $400.00 dress!
So I have taken an old surf t-shirt, and also a $40,00 long sleeved top and am amalgamating them with skirts made from old silk nightshirts. Great recycling. And will probably, once redyed, look far too good for the job.
Look on this thread for photos/videos to come.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqpaBeRBtUs&feature=plcp

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 6:01 pm
by Grok
Perhaps we could call the end result an amalgamated garment? I don't know if there is already a term for such.

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Sun Nov 11, 2012 7:48 pm
by Tor
Patchwork dress might be close... though it implies a few more pieces than you seem to bu using.

Tor

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Mon Nov 12, 2012 10:52 am
by Jack Williams
I suppose patchwork sort of, in that the skirt will be a number of triangular pieces, probably six methinks, which will make it really wide and swingy, as the quite heavy silk is extremely flexible.
The Silkbody dresses are already an "amalgamated" garment, as they are a skirt of theirs which I have added to one of their mens short sleeve tops.
This is a good example, the crepe-de-chine skirt from one of their dresses, which had the skirt really high under the bust, amalgmaated with the mens short sleeve crew to create a really long light silk skirted dress which is great for out on windy days, when that skirt really flies!
No surfing in this one!
The surf one will look somewhat similar though I think, but not quite as long.

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2013 5:05 pm
by MoonDrake
Very cool, I'm ordering swimsuit material and making the misses and myself swim dresses for the summer.

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:03 am
by Jack Williams
Great idea. I'll be looking forward to seeing those.
Have't got the ones I mentioned together yet, but I have an old cotton one or two that are good though. The one I'm planing wood in on "Jack Track" is one.

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:05 pm
by MoonDrake
I saw that looked good

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Fri Apr 12, 2013 12:04 pm
by Jack Williams

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Sat Apr 13, 2013 12:43 pm
by pleated
Very good Jack.
and very revealing :shock: :)

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 12:30 pm
by Jack Williams
Not over the top but!

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 4:53 am
by Jack Williams
OK, I have I think the ideal components for the perfect all polyester surfing dress, seen here as still separate skirt (of which I actually have two), and a long sleeved top. :wink:

A lot less work than the one mentioned above, and also I find the bamboo material is not as rugged as that polyester top from the "Kathmandu" outdoor clothing company.
Save wear on this great dress, which has since been redyed and certainly ain't going in again:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BqpaBeRBtUs

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 10:11 am
by Jack Williams
Looking at that, methinks sewing them together just at the stitch line of the top garment, and then removing the stuff above would be the thing.
Giving a nice smooth finished look.
"Watch this space" !

There is of course nothing against it being a great dress for up the street, no pockets notwithstanding!

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Wed Jun 19, 2013 12:56 pm
by Jack Williams
Right, I think I've got them at the right level as pinned here.
Be great for walking in the rain too, which is great fun.

Went out and got drenched the other morning in this great shirt-dress though, which was really successful!

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 1:09 pm
by Jack Williams
Got this all polyester wet-dress together today. So far the skirt is attached to the top with one round of backstitching of 1/4" foward and 1/8" back.
The top actually has a second round of stitching about 3/16" lower, and I shall also do that around for extra strength.

I have to say it is supremely comfortable and destined for a lot of other wearing!
Snug on the bod.

Re: New surf dress.

Posted: Thu Jun 20, 2013 1:36 pm
by crfriend
Normally I detest the drop-waist look, but have to admit that it works quite well in that shot. Well done; that looks like a keeper.