Saturday, August 27, 2011

Not for the faint of heart

Or, apparently, for the big of boob. 

I'm not going to call BWOF 9/11 #132 a wadder, and it really isn't the silk twill potato sack I feared it would be, but I think that I'm going to cut my losses before it becomes either, and reserve what's left of this beautiful fabric for some other project. 

The back of the dress doesn't look too bad, and the front doesn't either, but I made one mistake that I've made before - I love dresses with that nice straight line above the bust, and I have too much bust beneath that nice straight line for it to look, well, . . . nice. 

The drape looked good on the dress form.  It doesn't look bad flat on the table, either. 

But on me, not so much.  The drape just wouldn't drape properly - it centered itself over one boob and stubbornly refused to drape the way it did on the form.

Anybody ever see that Julie Andrews movie called Thoroughly Modern Millie?  This dress reminds me of the scene early in the movie when her strand of pearls kept locating itself over one or the other, until she finally went out and got the 1920s version of shapewear and flattened herself out.

Flattening would work, but it's not happening, and I don't think generic shapewear woudl be enough.  Certainly my most minimal bra made almost no difference at all.  Shapewear and I aren't particularly good friends, and this isn't the dress to push me over the edge into wearing it. 

Despite having absolutely the worst Burda instructions I've ever encountered, they were right about one thing - this is definitely a dress that would look better on a taller woman.  A taller, thinner woman.  A taller, thinner woman with smaller boobs. 

I couldn't bear to get Mario involved in taking photos of this dress.  He thinks I walk on water, or at least sew that way.  Some projects don't need witnesses.
On the plus side, I got the spring and fall Ottobre magazines today.  Their patterns never do much for me in the magazine, but I always tend to really like them made up.  Off to trace something practical and keep myself occupied while the hurricane attempts to wash away my chickens.

9 comments:

SewRuthie said...

:-( sweetie - hugs.

AllisonC said...

Well good for you for being brave enough to try something different and also being smart enough to know when to quit if you don't feel right about it. At least you can still use your lovely fabric. Hope you and your chickens are all alright in the approaching storm.

CarlaF-in Atlanta said...

I have the same love of patterns that look good on women with smaller boobs. I feel your pain because last week I finally stop trying to make a pattern like that work on my body type. As frustrating as the experience was, at least i know what doesn't look good on my body type. Hugs.

Virginia at A Sewing Life said...

Well, durn it. I have also noticed that straight-line-above-the-bust phenomenon. Can't understand exactly why it doesn't work (for my and my shape), but it sure as heck doesn't. I'm really glad you wrote about it, though, as maybe now I will remember next time I'm contemplating such a shape!

I still think you walk on water.

Nancy K said...

I too love patterns that look better on taller, thinner, A cup women. I try very hard not to make them up even if I do buy the pattern. Sometimes you just have to cut your losses.

Andrea said...

That was a pattern that I eyed longingly, wishing I was the tall, svelte, A-cup woman who would look stunning in it. I am tall-ish. One outa 3 ain't bad.

Stay safe from the hurricane.

Debbie Cook said...

"Some projects don't need witnesses."

Hahahaha - snort!

Jane M said...

Oh, Karen, you are wise to cut your losses and witty enough to not let it get you down. Hope the chickens make it through the weather.

meli88a said...

What a disappointment! Don't we all want to wear the things that just don't suit our body types?