This dress was on my list of plans for November, and I am delighted that I managed to finish it! I love this black floral rayon twill that I picked up recently. It's fairly lightweight but I thought that with some tights and a sweater I might be able to wear it past fall into winter as well -- since we've had winter appear already quite decidedly.
I have been going through my fabric and pattern stashes lately trying to match up possibilities. I have far too much fabric right now so am trying to make as much of it up into useful garments as possible! This one jumped out at me as a great match so I went with it.
This is rated as an easy pattern, and it is. There are no bodice darts -- rather, it's gathered at centre front neckline and at the waistline as well. There are simple shapes and pieces, though the neck binding could be a little fiddly if you've never done it before.
Neckline gathering is a little lost in this print but it's a great feature! |
The waist seam is elasticated, although there is also a zipper in the back. There needs to be to get this over your head, since the neckline is quite high and fitted. And the skirt is cut in four pieces, with a centre front and back seam, so hanging it to let the bias relax before hemming is a must.
The flaw in this pattern is definitely that there are no pockets included. It's a full enough skirt to put some pockets in without concern, so I used my basic pocket pattern and added side seam pockets. I usually make the opening about 4" below the waist but you can measure and see where you prefer your pockets to sit, and then just stitch them in at that level.
I made View B, the blue version. The photo image doesn't do this pattern any favours -- it fits the model poorly and somehow looks baggy and too tight at the same time. I'm not sure how this pattern could be easily adjusted for a larger than B cup; I don't have to make FBAs so don't quite know how you'd do it in a gathered bodice like this one. Maybe that would fix the fit issue with this model.
In any case, I shortened the bodice by an inch, and also shortened the sleeve by and inch & a half. I think I could have left that extra half inch in the sleeve, as I didn't account for the blousing. But I like the look and think it's a cute dress. I probably would have added an inch to the length if I'd had enough fabric, but as it is I used up most of my yardage with this dress.
I like the wintery colours of this dress -- somehow it looks quite holidayish :) Though the fabric is lighter weight than fully winterized, accessories will help out there. And it's so soft and swishy to wear! I really do like the easy process behind this cute design. And I really liked the details of the gathered neckline and the adorable shape of this sleeve.
This one is both cute and comfy, and I adore the fabric. One nice note about it is that is a rayon twill, manufacturer name of "Lana". Since that is my sister's name, I feel even cozier wearing this and thinking of her :) So glad I had time to work on this dress this week and wear it on a day that is milder than the last few!
Very pretty! And length is great — definitely not too short on you.👍
ReplyDeleteThanks! I think I had just enough to make this a comfortable length for me :)
DeleteI like this style on you! Love the fabric used. Enjoy wearing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It felt like "me" immediately. I love this fabric too :)
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