Pattern Description: Princess seam, button front dresses with gathered skirt, choice of 2 necklines (collar or scoop neck), short, cap and no sleeves. Optional tie belts. I made version E, scoop neck, cap sleeves.
Pattern Sizing: NL sizes 8-18, which are slightly bigger than the Big 4's version of those sizes. By my measurements in NL, I'm a solid 14, but if I'd cut a 14, I'd have been swimming in it. I made a 12, and the fit is good, but still a little roomier than I would have expected. Diet? I don't need no stinking diet, I'm gonna make a New Look pattern and LOOK like I went on a diet!
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, pretty much so. The scoop is almost Burda-low; it definitely requires my better bras or there'd be a little gappage.
Were the instructions easy to follow? I didn't really look at them until afterward (BWOF has me properly trained) but they seemed clear, and this is a pretty straightforward pattern.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? No dislikes. I'm on a dress kick right now, particularly dresses with skirts. Since I don't have the waistline I'd like, I'm creating the illusion that I do by adding more skirt. I don't know if it's fooling anybody, but I'm enjoying swishing around in all this fabric.
Fabric Used: Dark chocolate brown batiste with peach/orange and green embroidery, bought in Paris in 2008. Peach cotton broadcloth for the bodice lining, brown lining fabric for the skirt. Orange shirt buttons from the button box. Eleven of them. And the buttonholer didn't cough once. The fabric is beautiful, but the quality isn't what I would have hoped for - the embroidery is picky and unraveled itself in spots, and I can see this is a dress that's going to require way more care than I'm going to want to give.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Nothing major, other than adding horsehair braid to the hem to give it a little structure since my fabric is really drapy (or limp, depending on how humid your summers are).
Additionally, as a few other reviews have mentioned, this pattern is a little short-waisted. I lengthened it by an inch and it's just barely where I wanted it.
This doesn't class as an alteration or a design change, just as one of those things. I had the bodice constructed and was about to sew in the lining. Since I wasn't going to line the sleeves, I decided I should add them first, then hand stitch the lining to the armholes. I sewed on both sleeves, quickly (no easing, yay!) and went out to the couch to do the hand sewing. DH pointed out that one sleeve didn't look quite right, and that's when I noticed I'd sewn it on INSIDE OUT. In my defense, the light by my sewing machine is so strong that the two sides of the fabric look almost the same; it's only under the inadequate living room ceiling light that you can really see the difference.
I picked off the sleeve, turned it right side out, repinned, re-sewed, and went back to the living room. Where I discovered that the sleeve was right side out, but somehow, I'd sewn it on UPSIDE DOWN.
And it was only around 10:30 p.m. And there was no wine involved, really. Let's just say I taught the cats a few new words, stopped for the night and started over again the next day, when everything went well.
Come to think of it, that's probably why I managed to make 11 flawless buttonholes. The sewing gods were being apologetic after ruining my evening the night before.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I'll probably give it another shot, next time with the V neck and collar, which is actually the view I wanted to make but which didn't suit my embroidered fabric. Next time I'll put a little more attention in to the details - add a little MORE length to the bodice, and make sure that the back neck isn't gappy. It's got good bones, I just don't think I can face it again too soon after all the issues I had.
Conclusion: Cute dress with a few options. If you make sure to sew everything together right side out, it doesn't take long at all!
9 comments:
Very cute dress, I like your fabric.
Pretty summer dress!
This lovely dress was well worth the trials and tribulations with that sleeve. Looks cool and breezy, something welcome in the northeast right now.
It's funny how fabric choice can completely change the look of a dress. I wouldn't be too excited about the dresses on the pattern envelope. But your fabric choice makes the dress look less "June Cleaver-ish" and so much more sophisticated.
I love it! I have this pattern and you have inspired me to pull it out and get it done this summer.
Cute dress! When are we going to see it on you?
I like the dress...it is a pattern I have been eyeing for quite awhile.
Maybe when I tackle the buttonholes and master them, I'll try this one...not so far in the future I pray! :)
Very cute dress indeed!
Looks like you found yourself a lovely reliable pattern! And good for you for sewing your Paris fabric. I have another piece that I swear I will get to this summer. (Maybe.)
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