The Fabiani-Lous 60's



Fabiani patterns seem to be highly coveted by collectors and sewists who adore retro. Fabiani was a highly regarded Italian designer and was famously known for his 1960's tent coats. He was also married to another famous designer, Simonetta. I liked his simple but innovative styles that strongly influenced fashion in the 50'-60's and even today.



60's Fabiani silk ottoman coat

List of links to Fabiani sewing patterns

Fabiani biography

The pattern cost me about $20 from an e**y auction. I did not see this particular pattern listed in the wiki-catalogue.




Pattern Description
From the envelope flap:
"Alberto Fabiani (Fahbee ahny) - Italy's master tailor creates wonderfully flattering suits, distinguished ocats and exquisite evening gowns...can claim many fashion-firsts."

From the back of the envelope:
"Misses' One-Piece Dress: Semi-fitted slightly-A-line dress (without side seams) has jewel neckline and loose front inset with skirt front gathered to stay. Short sleeves or sleeveless. Button, buttonhole and top-stitch trim."

Size
Misses' size 14, bust 34. My eyes deceived me! All along I thought I was sewing a dress with bust 36. No wonder I was having some problems!



Fabric Used
Yellow Diamond Suiting in 100% cotton, from Fashion Fabrics Club.


Favorite Features
*The two buttons at the waist

*The topstitched (5/8" from seam) design of the mock bolero coupled with the inset.

*Back princess seams. The front of the dress below the inset/mock bolero is one large piece that bypasses side seams and immediately joins the back in a long princess seam.

*Retro a-line style


Other features
*5/8" seam allowance except for the 7/8" shoulder seam
*Slightly forward shoulder seams


Challenges

* Lots of pressing was essential to effectively topstitch the front. Due to a combination of the nature of the fabric and my uncoordination, my original attempt at topstitching produced a lot of bunching of the fabric. The final result was the best I could do after taking out my original topstitches, more pressing, and topstitching again.

* Stitching the entire front (inset, bolero) to the front stay that was sewn above the gathered front. The front stay acted like a lining for the top bodice and was sewn directly to the skirt portion of the dress. I could not decipher from the illustration on how to stitch the front bodice to the front stay. Originally, I sewed the front bodice to the front say right sides together and then when I turned the front bodice to the outside, I noticed that the inside of the skirt was staring at me! OOOOOOPS! Then I realized that I was supposed to sew the wrong side of the top bodice to the right side of the stay and the skirt. Uh oh, I forgot to take into the account that the back pieces of the dress will be sewn over the front, right sides together. I said "Duh" over and over to myself. I certainly got a lot of mileage from my seam ripper!

* There was a tendency for the lowest corners of the inset to bunch (below the bust), despite my cautious clipping and stitching at the corners.


Directions
*Nicely written steps with very helpful illustrations. I have found this true with the Vogue couturier patterns I worked with.


Modifications
* Omitted the underlining to reduce bulk.

* For the lower facing of the inset (where the buttonholes are placed), used the same fabric instead of "underlining" to add more stability.

* Referred to Annette1's very helpful and detailed tutorial for bound buttonholes. Honestly, this is the first time that I have COMPLETED a decent bounded buttonhole! I agree with Annette to practice first, especially in my case to get the lips to stay aligned horizontally! Special thanks to Annette for helping me to overcome my fears of sewing a bound buttonhole!

*Sewed on the buttons towards the final fitting instead of after attaching the inset and making the buttonholes.

*Took out 1/4" from each seam

*Shortened the zipper to mid-back

*Decreased the seam of the armhole facing to make it align better with the armscye.

*Cut 6" from the length of the dress to make it reach knee length.


Conclusion
I almost gave up on this dress! Once I was able to attach the front bodice to the front stay and skirt, I decided to continue, even if did not look right.

I really like the styles of some of the 60's Vogue Couturier patterns and have discovered that even the simple looking styles are more challenging (also time extensive) to sew than expected. They might not be practical additions to my wardrobe, but would be fun to wear for a festive occasion or a special night out (when I have the time, of course). Although I do not plan to use this pattern again, I am at least very happy to have the opportunity to sew a piece designed by one of my favorite designers, even if the dress did not turn out the way I had hoped for. If you like retro and designer originals, I would recommend the Vogue couturier line.