Monday, July 8, 2013

Success! Finally!!

Holy cow!!!
Making a good version of this dress has taken me a billion years. Between fitting problems, life, and just making silly mistakes it has taken me about a month to finally create a wearable, well-fitting version that I am happy with :)

check it out!


I used the same Retro-Butterick as seen in my post below and a fun polka-dotted cotton I picked up at Hancock's Fabric on sale. You have absolutely no idea how nerve-wracking it was cutting into this pretty fabric knowing that it was a good possibility I was about to have a complete disaster on my "crafty" hands!That being said, I still had a lot of fitting issues due to my body shape even after making my initial muslin bodice. I thought that I had the fit just right but having lost some weight since my last post it simply did not occur to me to re-measure myself. This didn't cause a huge amount of issues but it caused the waist and armholes of my adjusted pattern to be too big. So once I got the bodice sewed together and tried on I realized it was way too baggie in some areas. To fix most of the problem I simply took the side seams in by about an inch :)
I also had to make a few adjustments to the neckline because when I initially sewed it the scoop neck was far too baggy and just not figure flattering for me. I cut a small curved section out, added a few tucked stitches and Voila! it is now a sweetheart neckline. The fit of the bodice overall still isn't quite perfect but it is definitely wearable :)

                                                                   

I used the "invisible" stitch along the hemline, neckline, and armholes. It was time consuming but so worth it when looking at my final product. (I know..I know..I should have lined and used facings but I feel like that just would have made this light summer dress too bulky!) I am also rather proud of this zipper I put it. I managed to almost not screw it up. :)




This is one of those projects that I definitely struggled with quite a bit! But after a few candy bars, some Firefly, and determination 8 hours later I had this retro-inspired finished dress that I couldn't be more proud of!


So just remember: Stay focused, have fun, take a few deep breaths and get creative!!

9 comments:

  1. It's a beautiful dress and it looks great on you!

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  2. Yay!!! It looks fantastic on you!

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  3. Beautiful!
    -Sandra

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  4. I think its gorgeous and looks great on you. I've had this pattern in my stash for a few months awaiting my attention - you have inspired me to put that next on my list!!

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    1. Thank you! this pattern was fun to work with once I got the fit figured out :)

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  5. Hi! I love your blog. I've had similar problems getting a good fit and learning how to do an FBA (Full Bust Adjustments). I measure (47-38-44) and I'm sure you know, it's tough! I found a book that changed my life: Fit for Real People: Sew Great Clothes Using ANY Pattern by Palmer/Alto. It really taught me how to fit properly. Anyway. I love the blog. Keep creating and sharing!
    -Karen

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