Pattern Description: Close fitting dress, sized for knits, has shoulder princess seams and ruched side-front panels.
Sizing: 8-22. I made a 12.
Fabric Used: Cotton/Lycra Jersey in Plum (sold out, sorry) from Gorgeous Fabrics. This is the same fabric I used for my Renfrew Top.
Needle/Notions Used: Stretch 75/11 needle. Thread, one button from my button stash.
Tips Used during Construction: Press that Bad Mamma Jamma, Sewing With Knits, Finding the Right Side of Knits.
Did it look like the photo or drawing when you got through? Yes.
How were the instructions? They were fine. This is an easy pattern to sew, and it goes together readily, so I didn’t use the directions.
Construction Notes: I made a FBA. I serged all the seams and I used a narrow (.5mm) zigzag stitch to sew the hems. This pattern is drafted to be both sleeveless and long-sleeved. I raised the armholes about 3/4 of an inch, because as they were drafted, they are too low and look Becky-Home-Ecky. Vogue tells you to finish the arm and neck seams with purchased bias tape. Excuse me? Yeah, no. I used self-fabric. It works much better and looks less homemade.
Neckline and armhole finishes
I really wish Vogue/McCalls/Butterick would hire someone to bring their pattern instructions into the 21st century. Simplicity, too. All the big 4 have that problem. Grrr…
Anyway, It all went together well and I hemmed it and
Hmmmmmmmm….
Likes/Dislikes: Here’s the thing. I’m not sure I like it. It doesn’t look bad on. It actually looks better on me than it does on Shelley, but the side ruching, which I thought would look kind of cool, makes my bustline look weird. There’s just too much of it, you know? I think if it had been just around the waistline area, it might have worked better, but I’m not convinced the way it is.
Would you do it again? Would you recommend it? Uh, no, and maybe. If this is your style, then go for it. It’s an easy pattern and it goes together well. It’s just not my style. I’ll let it sit for a while and then try it on again and see if I like it any better.
Conclusion: Not one of my favorites. It gave me something to do during the Blizzard, but it may end up going to the thrift store. As I say, I’ll try it on again later and see if I still feel “meh” about it. Here are a couple of shots on Shelley.
Front
and Back
Happy sewing!
Cute, with potential. I love the fabric, but I totally see what you mean about the gathers. I think they go about 2-3″ too high, and no one wants “bumpy boobs”. Any chance you would rip the front seams open, and slide those gathers down a little? You can trim the excess off before hemming… I wouldn’t give it away just yet, though!
I like the dress. Maybe you just need to get used to the style?
And what is it with Vogue and the @$#@!! purchased bias tape? It takes ten minutes to make enough to finish the neckline and looks so much nicer
Seriously I want to see this on you because it’s looking great on Shelley! I was surprised to hear that you didn’t like it!
I think it looks great on Shelly though I see what you mean, I’m not sure myself I’d be comfortable with that much ruching!
Your test post on 16 February is showing up on my RSS feed (Feedly) but when I try to open the blog from the link there I am getting “page not found”. This one is the latest post I can see.
Hope that helps
Anne
Maybe if you reduced the length of the ruching, you would like it better. I think it looks great, but if you don’t like it, you don’t like it. I know that feeling all too well.
I like it on the dress form anyway. Funny same day I read this review I read Goodbye Valentino’s review of the same dress but she loves it!. I’d like to see it on too.
Unfortunately the ruching leaves drag lines that generally indicate the need for a fba, which you did, so that would bother me as well. It’s a great color for you though.
Have you tried a different bra or smoothing undergarment? Some bras can make you pooch in weird places with certain garments.
I rarely have much success with pulling stitching out of knit, even a nice knit like that, though I agree with other posters that moving the ruching down a bit might help.
I LOVE the color!
I am the queen of keeping the girls facing forward in a well fitting bra.
I don’t have a pooching problem, I just don’t like the way the side ruching looks on me.