The Witching Hour

There is a place in my neighborhood we call Witches Tower, some call it Frankenstein’s Castle, but originally it was a look out for NCR (National Cash Register) that is now owned by Five Rivers Metro Parks. This was one of my favorite hang outs as a teen and I wanted to make an interesting dress that I could photograph in the scenery of my youth.

The Pattern.

This is definitely a 1980s dress pattern. It’s a little Victorian, colonial and 19080s inspired. It is just not as fancy with layers, ruffles, boning or any of that stuff. The pattern called for 7-8 yards of fabric and was easy to construct.

Fabric.

I have never been much for traditional prints such as calico and homespun. They remind me of Americana styles my mom and aunt Donna decorated with in the 1980s. I also was not crazy about them from my Hancock Fabric days. If you have ever worked in a fabric store you know plaids are cut with extra care, open on a bold line. I have also learned to love those traditional fabrics as I have gotten older and found a fondness for history.

I wanted a more modern, less fuss fabric so I chose a stretch knit. I got my fabric from Girl Charlee, it took almost 5 yards of knit and I used this vintage 1980s McCall’s pattern. I wound up ordering fabric twice because I chose the fabric before the pattern and needed more fabric for the bottom ruffle.

The Details.

I decided to fully pipe the dress so it would not look like a night-gown. It is amazing how this dress looks so different in contrasting light. The photo above is against a yellow wall that gives the hand stamped design a raspberry color. In natural light it almost looks like a rust colored dress.

Most people do not know but a few steps away from the Witches Tower are wooden gates made by the famous artist Mary Miss Wetlands. I have learned a lot more about my hometown volunteering on the Kettering Arts Council. I am hoping to do more photography shoots with art in 2019. Beautiful art is all around.

These professional photos are by Sharon Caraway and the lovely model is Leslie Ruby Randall. Above is a behind the scenes shot I took. I’m pretty sure Leslie is a foot taller than me.

Behind the scenes~

New T-Shirt Reverse Appliqué at Rosewood Art Centre

My class is next week and there is still time to sign to up.

Prom pictures are coming in. This is year 3 of working with this family for school dresses. They have been so wonderful. I love seeing the finished pictures,

Thank you for reading,

Tracy McElfresh

Dream it! Sew it!

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Tracy McElfresh

Owner at Tracy's Sewing Studio

Tracy McElfresh is an alterations and fit specialist, Kettering Arts Council member, and Kettering resident. Tracy has a skillset built from multigenerational roots in the sewing and garment industries. Operating out of a studio located inside Rosewood Art Centre she provides alterations, garment design (including a strong passion for swimwear), formal and casual dressmaking, and sewing classes. Tracy founded a meetup group in 2014 called the Dayton Garment Designers Meet Up that is open to all newcomers at any skill level. In her free time, she is an avid writer and blogger and was a recognized award winner in 2018 as having one of the Best Dressmaker Blogs on the Planet from Blogspot. You can follow her work on Facebook and Instagram at TracySews.

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