So, to refresh your memories, I had selected the Very Easy Very Vogue 
9647 from the winning Pattern Pyramid. There were two main reasons for this; one, it was in my size, two, it was touted as “very easy”.
Now, not sure if you can see from the picture or not, but this pattern is definitely very ’80s. Especially, the incredibly expansive shoulder pads. They are actually large enough to land a plane on! Seriously! And for those of you afraid to fly, picture a Kitty perched on each shoulder and walking around all day like that.
I wanted to try my best to De-80s-fy the pattern (yes, I coined that phrase, please feel free to use it and share).
This is what I came up with to bring it into this century while lancing the shoulder pad design detail: 
I opted to make the top half of the dress in B (the short sleeves) and the bottom half of the dress in A (the full skirt), while also shortening the dress to about knee-length. I’m using a periwinkle blue cotton voile that has a flower design embossed on it, and is almost sheer where the flowers are embossed. I thought it would be delicate and flowy and deter from that ‘boxy’ look. I then decided to sew an Obi Style belt out of the cotton floral fabric to cinch it at the waist while still keeping that light and airy look (as opposed to using a heavy leather / plastic belt).
So, these are my plans to de-80’s fy, what do you think? In my mind, it looks fabulous! 🙂 In reality, we’ll have to wait and see.
And, I have been charged with a Sewing Dare by Jagoda from FitNottoFit:
“Catja, I don’t know what your plans are for March, but I CHALLENGE you to make something from Ikea fabric. Hopefully something wearable, for yourself, not for the kitties. Do you accept?”
Yes, I accept! Although Kitty is a tad disgruntled. Here is my plan:
I love Ikea fabric, but it can be a challenge to sew clothing with it, as it is mainly designed for home sewing projects. I am going to make Butterick B5285 in Version B and use this Ikea fabric pictured. The fabric design is: Malin Akerblom, 2010. The floral print is quite large and I’m hoping that with the addition of the pleats on the skirt, it will look like an abstract floral pattern.
Karen, from Did You Make That? made the same version (B) of the Butterick skirt in a fabulous fabric, check it out here. It looks terrific, so if mine comes out half this well, I will be stoked!
Gjeometry 
Your 80s dress pattern will be interesting to see! As long as you don’t put big shoulder pads in it, the linebacker look shouldn’t be a problem. =)
I’ve always loved that IKEA fabric you are using for the sewing dare. Can’t wait to see your new creations!
Thank you! “Linebacker look”, lol. 🙂 The shoulder pads on the pattern picture are absolutely hysterically huge! But, I plan on putting no shoulder pads at all, and am hoping that the sleeves will just drape sort of like a kimono. We’ll see! And, I shall surely post the finished skirt, as well.
Catja your plans to de-80′s fy your pattern sound wonderful. I’m just wondering that since you do not intend to use oversized shoulder pads – is there any shoulder alteration that will need to be made??? Just wondering because I have a few high shouldered 80’s patterns myself.
Hi Faye, thanks for your encouragement!! Well, I was hoping that by using the super thin and diaphanous type of voile, that the shoulders and sleeves would just drape down and look like a kimono. I have a kimono that a relative brought back when he was in the Korean war and it is cut very similar to this with huge sleeves.
But, to be honest, have no idea if it will work out and drape nicely or if the boxy, square look will prevail. Hope not, but sometimes it’s trial and error, I guess. If you figure out that a shoulder alteration would be needed to make it look better, please, by all means, let me know! 🙂
Oh, oh, oh, I have the same fabric from Ikea! That print is so beautiful, I also wanted to make a skirt from it… So far, I only made a dress for a little girl, and re-stashed it… I also think we should challenge Vicky from http://anothersewingscientist.blogspot.ca/, as she also admitted having Ikea fabric and not doing anything with it. And I also will challenge myself do do something from that fabric, and I’m so glad you accepted my challenge!
I also love your choice of the 80s dress/fabric combo, sounds great!
Hi Jagoda, thanks so much!! Both for the challenge and the compliments. And, yes, let’s tag-team vicky to a sewing dare with using Ikea fabric for a fashion item. And, yes, then I CHALLENGE you, to make a clothing item out of this very same fabric. The only stipulation is that it can’t be the same pattern I am using. Do you accept??
I loved this fabric print too, but since the flower pattern is so large, it’s hard to decide what to do with it as you don’t want to cut up the fabric’s pattern too much, or it will lose it’s original design.
And, glad you approve of the de-80s-fying project! If you have any advice, please feel free to share!
Yes, yes, yes, I accept! Deadline? March 31st wd be nice, so I can wear my new garment on my b-day April 1st, but then again, I don’t know what’s your schedule like. So excited!!!
Yes! Accepted. March 31st for the both of us. (You’re an April Fools Baby? Oh my! 🙂 Happy pre-birthday!
Oooo very pretty! And very Spring! I think the lightness of the voile will definitely de-80s-fy it 🙂
I also love that ikea fabric! I’ve never bought fabric from ikea before, I bet they have really fun prints.
Hi Eleyna, thank you! I also thought all of the above fabrics were pretty, so hope that the projects work out. Would hate to ruin the fabrics! And yes, they all have a definite spring leaning don’t they? I guess you can figure out what my favourite season is. I’m fairly transparent.
Ikea has fun fabric, for sure. And not too expensive either. But, a lot of it is the thicker canvass that has its limits in terms of fashion sewing. But, great for bags!
Oh, good idea! I think I’d like to try a bag with some ikea fabric!
Spring is just around the corner! 🙂 Just in time for your dress, I think!
I have that skirt pattern and I keep trying to use it but I can’t make up my mind about fabric. So, I’m very interested to see how yours turns out and how much I want to copy you 🙂
Ooooh, awesome! I just bought the pattern three days ago, but after a search on the ol’ internet, discovered that it is quite popular! And, I know EXACTLY what you mean about fabric choice. Honestly, it took me so long to decide on a fabric, and then, I changed my mind about a half dozen times.
But, as I’ve discovered and I’m sure you already know, fabric does make or break a sewing project, so it definitely is important to put a lot of thought into it.
I’m so excited to see the results of your de-80’s-ify-ing!!! Love the shade of blue you picked 🙂 And that ikea floral is perfect for a skirt! 🙂
Hi Amanda, thanks! That colour, periwinkle, or whatever you want to call it, is actually my favourite colour! Sort of blue, sort of purple, and very soft looking. ‘De-80s-fying’. It really rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it? Lol.
I changed my mind so many times about the fabric for the skirt, so, happy that you like it! At least in terms of drape and thickness, it should work out. And hoping that the floral pattern will turn into an interesting abstract floral with the pleats and not a big colourful mess. 🙂
While I like the idea of Kitty riding along all day on your giant shoulder pads, you’re right to ‘lance’ them (giggle, never heard that term in the sewing room b4) That’s cute material. Looks like it’s hand painted. I wish I could De-80’s-fy some old photo’s…we were crazy with the hair back then. Big shoulders, Big sleeves and Big hair…..weird stuff.
Lol, I know! And don’t forget big make-up. Secretly, I’d love to be able to transport kitty around on my ginormous shoulder pads, but instead, am going to have to perform the intricate surgical removal process.
Love that Ikea fabric! A full skirt would be perfect for it! Also your plan for the 80’s dress sounds like it would work. If the fabric is drapey, the sleeves won’t look as full.
Yay, that’s the plan! To bring the shoulders down to human proportions ;). So happy you think it will work.
And, yes I think the Ikea fabric definitely will work best with a full skirt so that the flower pattern isn’t cut apart too much.
Great material choices for both patterns. Love the colors & they should look really nice. Hate to admit it but some of us older people actually wore those shoulder pads. When I took them out of some of my clothes they still looked ok.So your pattern should work.
Thanks for your comments! Yes, I wore them too in the ’80s, but not THIS big :). Also, I’m a small person, but have broader shoulders, so even if I liked this look, they would still look way too big.
I love your choice of IKEA fabric.. Gorgeous!
Thanks! I couldn’t resist it either :).
Can’t wait to see this dress, love the fabric.
Thanks Debbie! I have my fingers crossed that it works out.
I’m so excited to see what you do with this! I know you’ll make it look modern and fun.
Thank you! Well, that’s certainly the plan.
I’ve sewn the top part of the dress and am wondering now if I should have made the sleeves narrower.
I cannot wait to see the finished results!
Thanks lillian! I am diligently working away (in my spare time, which has been a bit sparer lately), and, have to say, I don’t find the Vogue pattern “Very Easy” at all. But, nor is it very difficult, there are just a lot of markings and instructions to follow.
Hi, I’m new to this blog, just started following you. I’m sarahlizsewstyle.blogspot.com. Firstly, I love the fabric, which I understand is a voile. Its also quite 80’s – which I remember vaguely. Those sort of kimono sleeves were large- if you look at the envelope picture they are quite square cut and large. I think your idea that you could make this a sort of kimono dress is a good idea – the sort of 20’s drapey kimono look is in right now. I’m not sure if you will have problems with the shoulders, but you could always play around with ruching. A fantastic wrap kimono style belt might be good on this dress, as opposed to the dramatic black belt. The original dress has very dramatic lines (Dynasty, the TV show was all the rage, not that I ever watched it!). Your fabric is soft and pretty, so I think play around and make a gorgeous 20’s/50’s wrap dress – which will make it look really modern and fun. Pop over to my site one day and say hi.
Hi Sarah, Thanks so much for stopping by! I’m glad you think the kimono style ideas I had for the dress will work out. That’s what I noticed too, that it’s a fine line between 80’s Dynasty and 20’s kimono style flowing dress. Hopefully, the latter will prevail :).
I hope so too!
Looking forward to seeing your dress when it’s finished as I think it’s going to look great! And Oh that Ikea fabric is gorgeous and I think it’s going to be perfect for your Butterick skirt… can’t wait to see it when it’s finished too. You sure are making great progress on all your sewing projects 🙂
Thanks Chris! I loved that Ikea fabric too but it definitely calls for a specific kind of project. Hope both of these work out, and thanks for your encouragement! (This is the same Vogue dress that I tweeted about where Step One took 3 hours! Step ONE! Lol).
Looking forward to seeing your skirt made from the Ikea fabric. Ikea have such nice fabric but I have never bought any…..yet!!!
Thanks Debbie! Ikea fabric can be addictive, as they come out with new lines every season or so, which is so fun and inexpensive.
oooo – im lovin your IKEA fabric choice…looks like a watercolour. i admit i have IKEA fabrics in my stash awaiting the perfect pattern. I currently have my eye on the timber log print they have.. 🙂 cant wait to see your skirt!
Thank you! Yes, I’ve definitely heard that from more than one person, myself included in there, that Ikea fabric is great, but you need the perfect clothing pattern to use it. I think because they cater more towards home decor sewing. But, will surely post the skirt when it is completed!
Lovely blog! I will be visiting often. I’ve added you to the blogroll on my very new sewing blog.
Fabulous, thanks! I look forward to sharing with each other. So happy for you and your new blog 🙂
I’ve just found your blog recently and I’m looking forward to seeing more. I think your plans for this pattern are very clever! Fingers crossed for you.
Oh, thank you so much! And so happy you’ve found the blog and stopped by. Hope to see you back soon :). I will be finishing and blogging about these garments soon. The Vogue dress has been causing me quite the problems, but I persevere!