I matched it up with Butterick 6725, as I was looking for a dress with a straight silhouette that would use this fabric well. With a crisp quilting cotton, I always prefer a design that has no gathering or drape. A sleek pattern takes advantage of the qualities of a cotton and so this dress, with panels and a slight A-line skirt, seemed perfect. I made View A with the sleeves from View B.
It was a very easy pattern to put together! There are princess seams in the front, and the centre panel is cut as two pieces as well, because there is supposed to be topstitching along all those seams. However, I didn't use the topstitching in the end -- on my samples, neither the black or green topstitching I tried were visible from more than a few inches away so there was not really a point on this busy print. I wish I would have figured that out before cutting the pieces out, as I would have cut the centre panel on the fold otherwise. But I think it still worked out. Also, I'm relieved that I got the patch pockets placed with the print near to matching as well.
The cutting was the longest and most intimidating part. When I laid the fabric out I realized that the print was both large and regular. I wasn't too worried about matching up the print in the sense of having a flower carry across a seam, necessarily, but I did want to be sure that the pattern was balanced across the whole of the dress and that the clear horizontal repeat was not askew.
It took a fair bit of placement and moving pattern pieces around, but I got to it in the end. The bust point isn't marked (it's on the seam) so I had to figure that out and be sure a giant flower didn't end there - that was my starting point. Then I basically used the hemline as the plumb line to be sure each piece was sitting on the same plane. It worked well, and the larger flowers are all in line around the whole of the dress, nobody is off balance or drooping, whew!
The adjustments that I made were mainly my usual ones for a petite person. I cut 14 at the neckline and shoulder, and 16 at bust, grading to 18 at hip. I shortened it by an inch above the waist, and raised the bottom of the neckline slit by an inch. I often raise neckline features, since I am shorter between shoulder and bust. I made View A but used the sleeves from View B. The only change to the sleeve was to cut 14 at the shoulder cap but 16 at the underarm seam. That small adjustment usually works for me. And I added on 2" to the View A hem, as I prefer a slightly longer skirt - my legs are too short to have hems much above my knee, as it makes me a bit uncomfortable!
This was a fun project, and I really like the silhouette. The fabric is colourful and fun - I love a black floral. It was a pleasure to sew, taking pressing and manipulation well, and it is heavy enough to wear without worrying about see-through. Also, I've worn it twice now, and haven't had any bad creasing to iron out. I'm never one to shy away from using quilting cotton in garments. Just avoid anything fussy or gathered. As long as you remember to use the properties of a fabric to its best effect, you can make nearly anything work for you.
This dress looks lovely. A great match between pattern and fabric.
ReplyDeleteThanks! I'm happy with the results - such a pretty fabric :)
DeleteWhat a great dress! The fabric is perfect for it, and it looks really good on you! I've been thinking about making a dress - haven't sewn a garment for myself in AGES, but find that the styles in the stores are too trendy. I'd like something that will be stylish for more than one season, and this pattern looks like a winner!
ReplyDeleteThis pattern is a great standard - looks stylish but not too trendy, so you could use it for a long time. I love this fabric and this was a pretty easy one to put together even with the pattern matching. You can definitely make yourself a dress again!
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