I made view B, size small (unlike the big 4, the measurements were pretty much identical to my own – YAY!!). I found a couple of coordinating fabrics with the help of my sister (she's hoping that I get tired of this make and give it to her). Though it hasn't been warm enough to even think about wearing it yet this year, I have plans to wear it to my birthday concert (Tegan & Sara) in June and hopefully before that if the weather cooperates.
Adjustments:
1. A small, SBA (shown below). I just pinched/pinned out the excess on my muslin and transferred it to the paper pattern.
2. The bottom tier is one panel less than what was called for because I ran out of material. This dress is a fabric Hog with a capital H.
3. I added a facing to the front midriff piece. My fabric (a crepe-like polyester) is quite heavy once it's all gathered up and sewn together in the skirt, and I didn't think one layer was going to cut it at supporting that weight. I used the same pattern piece and cut the facing out of a black cotton I had in my stash. Assembly was the same as you would sew a button down shirt back yoke.
4. I cut my own bias strips and hand sewed them down on the neck and arm holes. The instructions call for topstitching but I did not because of my fabric choice.
Final Thoughts:
• The length was just barely long enough (I'm 5'5"), so if you are taller than average you will want to add length.
• The instructions for this were very thorough with lots of extra info to guide a less experienced sewer.
• On my dress form, the front bodice pieces would not lay flat but magically did not gape in the slightest when I had it on. The wonders of bias?
I am very happy with this and can hardly wait to wear it. I also received the other two patterns in the collections as a thank you from Kati (thanks!!) and am looking forward to trying out the Zsalya top—it has some interesting details that I didn't notice until I saw Carolyn's version. So great!
I'll leave you with a few more shots on the dress form.
it looks great! i really like the proportions of the dress, and it fits you really well too. the main print totally reminded me of your blog header when i saw it :)
ReplyDeleteThis is nice!! This is such a cute pattern!
ReplyDeleteI love this! Great job with the fabric choices, I love that the contrast midriff is also the bodice back! I must say I bypassed this pattern when I saw it because I didn't care for the fabric the samples were made up in, but your version makes me more interested in the pattern!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous- great pattern placement, wonderful shape on you- lovely!
ReplyDeleteErin you have done it once again. You have an uncanny knack for picking just the right fabric for just the right design. It looks wonderful on you and as your gramma Mary would say, " You will get a lot of use out of this dress."
ReplyDeleteGreat job.
ReplyDelete