I started making this dress earlier this week and though it turned out decently, it’s not my favorite.
What I like: I worked really hard at the fit and I learned a lot about my body in the process. This fabric has a nice drape to it and though it’s wiggly, it wasn’t too bad to sew.
What could be better: sleeves are so tricky. These ones just had too much fluff in them to start out with. I decreased the sleeve cap and tried my best, but they are still less fitted than I like my sleeves to be. I will fix them. Also, the interfacing did not stick to this fabric at all, so the facings and the collar have a bit of loft which is not very flattering. Though I shortened the bodice and the tissue fit was very very good, there was more ease in the entire dress than I expected, making my short frame look considerably plumper than it actually is.
What I really really don’t like at all: This is a lesson in print choosing. Prints on the bolt look much smaller I think than they end up looking on you. I thought this was not NEARLY as busy as it turned out to be on me. It’s still not that bad–last night as I was struggling with the sleeves, I was feeling like a big tacky American tourist on a tropical cruise.
June 21, 2009 at 10:01 pm
So here is my two cents. I think the dress came out really good, and it is hard to see all of the discrepancies with the print. The color is very flattering on you, but the print is so busy it takes away from the overall wrap look. I think when you try again with a different fabric it will be just right!! Very nice for a learning curve!