90 Minute Dress

It was a long week.  We got out early today, and I headed down to Karlin's to pick up more black and white striped fabric.  I'm having an issue with the dress - because of the pleats in the skirt, there's just no way I can make the stripes line up, and having them off - by a little or a lot - is making me batshit.  So I got the bright idea to just buy more fabric and cut a new skirt, with the stripes running horizontally.  Because the skirt is full, I don't think the crosswise stripes will make me look wide, and at least I wouldn't have to match the stripes.

So of course they ran out of the fabric.  Who bought 20+ yards of that black and white stripe?

There went Plan B.  On to Plan C.  I'll let you know when I think of a Plan C.

So instead, I came home and made a quickie dress from Burda 6/11 #107.  Full review is here. 

Pattern Description: From the magazine: Simple lines for big impact. The clean cut of this dress features dropped shoulders and a seductive neckline. No zipper is needed, thanks to the casual A-line shape.

What they forget to mention: in-seam side pockets, lined and unlined versions, neck facings included for unlined version. 

Pattern Sizing: Burda sizes 34-44. I made a 40, which is my standard size in Burda wovens, and I could have made wider seam allowances. This was a little spacious, but it's also an airy, unfitted summer dress. I think I want too much.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, the shape is very similar, though I think for a combination of Burda and V-neck, this actually doesn't fit their "seductive" description. It's a V. It's not plunging, I can't see my bra, I certainly can't see my navel - they've done lower.

Were the instructions easy to follow? I read them after the fact, and they're pretty clear - for Burda - though they seem a little overcomplicated for the lined version of the dress.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? No dislikes at all.

I wasn't impressed with the June issue of Burda, which is of course why I've made 2 patterns from it before the end of May. There were a lot of simple shapes, which I criticized, and of which I have made 2.

This dress struck me as simple and flattering, and possibly a good use for the Liberty of London lawn I recently acquired. The prints are quite busy, and I wanted a simple, easy dress. This looked like it would suit my needs, and is the kind of dress I like to wear on weekends.

Fabric Used: Olive green eyelet from Metro Textiles in NY (age approximately 2 years); turquoise cotton lining from Paron's in NY (age approximately 1 month).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I left off the pockets. In seam pockets are not my friend - they tend to make me look a little thicker in an area no one needs to look thicker. I underlined my eyelet with the turquoise cotton and cut them as one. Rather than deal with binding off the neckline, I decided to just cut the facings anyway and treat the dress as unlined. It was just easier since I assumed this was a wearable muslin.

It's actually just a wearable dress. Always a nice surprise.

These fabrics are of a heavier weight than the Liberty I intend for future iterations of this dress, so I may use wider seam allowances next time.

Interestingly, though Burda mentions in the description that this is an A-line dress, they pose the model in the PHOTO so that the fullness in the skirt isn't evident. I might taper it in just a smidge next time, depending on how I like the flare in a lighter cotton.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'll be sewing this one again. Much as I love more complex patterns, sometimes simple IS better. My rectangle shape responds well to A-line and shift dresses and it's a quick, nicely fitted pattern. I'd recommend it, both for beginners who want to tackle Burda, and for more experienced sewists who need a quickie project with a good result.

Conclusion: Start to finish - tracing to pressing - this dress took me 90 minutes. It's not rocket science, but it is a cute dress.