Way back in the spring, PatternReview was running its Sewing Bee challenge. I made it to Round 2 on the strength of my first project, a Knit Dress With A Twist.
The challenge for Round 2 was Collars. I have lots of collars that are interesting, and lots of things I've always wanted to try. I decided to try to make a Book Dress with a Chelsea Collar that would be multi-layered to look like book pages. Well, great idea but not so great in the execution.
I used Simplicity 7238, a Christie Brinkley pattern from 1991. I had some good base fabric for the dress -- an old sheet, which had tones and shapes that reminded me of old book bindings. So far so good. Then I tried to create layers of sheers as "pages". So many problems!
First off, the Chelsea collar wasn't the right choice for this concept - there was too much collar, and the sheers that I had in my stash just weren't stiff enough. I sprayed them all with spray starch and pressed but still not enough body to have the effect I wanted. Also, I caught Covid right at the beginning of collar week so was way too exhausted to do anything that might have added to the effect, like adding a text underlay, stitching with wire edges etc. I gave up and just got done what I had started so I had an entry.
But I didn't like very much, I felt that it really didn't work for me. I put it aside thinking that maybe I could take off the sheer layers and make the dress actually wearable. I finally got to the refashion this month, and removed the sheer bits, sewing the plain collar back on. I like it much better, and think it could be wearable. But not, alas, by me.
I don't like the shape of this dress, or the collar, or the fabric colours (why did I think I would like these colours on me?). It doesn't have any drape, and the whole outfit is just a big fail, refashion or not!
This project was another reminder that the things I make for challenges or contests that don't already fit in with my wardrobe plans and/or colour-pattern preferences are rarely successful. I will be able to reuse this fabric, but will never get all the time back that I sunk into the project. Have you had projects like this too? I have to remind myself to be more conscious about what I'm choosing to make, in many different ways.
If you approach garment sewing as an interesting process, then your efforts are never wasted -- even if the finished project is a Monstrosity Spawned from the Bad Place.
ReplyDeleteIf you expect to always sew a lovely, flattering garment, with no ... let us say "design decisions" ... along the way, you will live in a constant state of disappointment.
Did you enjoy the planning? the search for fabrics? the putt-putt-putt of the sewing machine as you fed material into its maw? Then this not-quite-right dress was not a failure.
[There are no mistakes. There are only design decisions. Some design decisions are worse than others.]
Very true! I did learn some new construction procedures with this, and am glad I tried it. But it's just a big no when it comes to the wearing part of the process! Oh well, I can reuse the fabric, and I know I have other cocoon shaped patterns that worked out better for me.
ReplyDeleteIt is a clever idea. For the Sewing Bee in 2019 I made a jacket with lots of zips, zipped pockets and zipped decoration. I never wear it. I was going to donate it but my DH said something like "oh you out so much work into that jacket, you've got to keep it". So yes understand and feel the pain. https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-O0qrhyuemaE/XFNv0iaRwhI/AAAAAAAAMB4/l7t3TaJ6fhkiU8fSStA6rNbfSS_34DQ1QCLcBGAs/s1600/RuthieZips.jpg
ReplyDeleteExactly! I will cut it up again and use it for something else so I don't feel that it was entirely wasted ;)
DeleteHi Melanie, Well oddly enough I really like the dress on you from what I see in the photo. And I love the fabric. I think I also prefer the self fabric collar. But if we are not comfortable in our clothes there is little point in wearing them. (In fact, we won't). And yes, so many other uses for the fabric.
ReplyDelete..... Sara
That's it, just not the right one for me. I'll try something similar again sometime to see if it will turn out better with a better fabric choice.
DeleteOuch!! Well I must admit that I don't think this dress does much for you either.. You could consider that the book idea was interesting, and that in fact you now have a much better plan of how you could really bring it to fruition. And you should be very forgiving to yourself for not quite getting there, as covid exhaustion is a real thing and you can't expect to be somehow immune to its effects (sorry you have to work with the inconsiderate public). And it's completely understandable that your frustration would lead you to dive right into a hopeless refashion without taking enough time to analyze the problems and so waste even more time on it. This wasn't a normal project to begin with, you were thrown a big wrench in the gears, it happens. Maybe a nice easy t-shirt next 😁?
ReplyDeleteHa! Yes, easy project coming up to recover from the wasted time on a fruitless refashion ;) But at least I did try out my idea and learned how it doesn't work, as you noted!
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