... but this is not one of those times...
say hi to lucille! she's the sweetest puppy dog in the world...and wouldn't leave me alone...
this is my muslin for my birthday dress (v1209). man am i glad i made a muslin! i sewed this baby up in a straight size 6, because, what can i say? i felt like a 6! what?! you never base your sizing on your feelings??
well last time i made a vogue pattern i felt like the sizing on the pattern envelope was for the birds and just figured out which size to cut by the finished garment measurements printed on the pattern pieces. thats all well and good, except this time there weren't any finished garment measurements printed on the pattern. so! i went with my feelings...
apparently i feel a bit skinnier than i am, because this dress is tight! not so tight that i'm going to bust a seam, but tight enough that my husband says i look goood and i take that to mean its verging on public indecency! tmi??
funny thing is - its pretty much falling off my shoulders and gaps like its nobody's business in the back. so i just tapered it to a size 8 from the armpits down because if i do an 8 at the top it'll fall down to my boobs and i'll get arrested for public indecency for other reasons!
i also took a little tuck out of the back "v" to shorten it so it doesn't gap so much.
while we're on the subject of public indecency... can we talk about how short this dress is? this is before the 5/8" hem it suggests. just putting all the goods out there, aren't we rachel comey?
another reason i vow to always make a muslin - check out that zipper. holy. cannoli. that is one effed up zipper. the side zip gets inserted into some wacky bias seams. while part of the craziness of this zipper has to do with the fact that the dress is tight and pulling it weird, the other part of it is that bias seams and zippers don't like each other.
also, check out that crazy side seam! twisting all over the place! note to self - let the dress hang before sewing up the side seam...
i have to admit that i was a bit nervous about how this style would work on me - whether it would be flattering or just... ghastly. this is the other reason i think muslins are so important; besides walking yourself through the construction of the dress and getting to see what all the little weirdnesses are in the pattern, you also get to check out how the style works on you before you commit to your nice fabric.
i'm pleased to say that i like this dress. even with all the rippling and tugging and twisting thats going on with this muslin - i think its a cute dress. but its gonna need some work!!!
so here's the changes i'll be making to v1209:
- cut a larger size for crying out loud!!
- take a 1 inch tuck out of the back "v" to shorten it
- staystitch the living daylights out of the neckline
- add 2 inches of length all around - i mean seriously...
- let the damn thing hang to work out those bias seams
- use this tutorial for a pucker free zipper
wish me luck!
xx
I have the material and pattern ready to go for this dress and I am so grateful for your post. I was always going to add a bit to the length as I could tell it was short but the other hints are priceless too. I'll definitely be doing a muslin first and following the tutorial for the zipper too. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteMuahaha... definitely, definitely go up a size at least because because your pretty silk wants to hang and drape drape. (apparently I feel like typing words twice today.) I find that lighter silks want to be in a slightly bigger size than what feels like a good fit in a firmer woven. Perhaps once it hangs more loosely from the waist rather than clinging to it, the shoulders will drop nicely as well? I had to laugh, though--whenever I make stuff that accidentally bandages me in I get a lot of oohs and pinches. ("No, honey, it's really not supposed to do that!!") Still have never attempted a zipper into bias--that is for a day I feel like crying.
ReplyDelete"but tight enough that my husband says i look goood and i take that to mean its verging on public indecency"
ReplyDeleteOur husbands are obviously cut from the same cloth!
Once you get the fit right, this dress is going to be awesome! I love the seam lines and the v-neck in the back. I've really liked all the Rachel Comey designs that you've made up (I'm not crazy, there were others, right?).
I am so glad you're going to move forward with sewing this dress. Once you've done all the adjustments its gonna look gooood!
ReplyDeleteWell....it's definitely bordering on scandalous, but I really like the "bones" of it. I've been eyeing this one since it came out, so I'm going to be paying close attention to what you change so that I know for when I get around to making it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yeah, I've chosen patterns based on my feelings before, but it's never worked out very well for me....
oh I am glad you decided to keep at it - it really is such a cute dress. I bet it's going to be great!
ReplyDeleteThat shade of blue is really nice on you, too.
It's going to look incredible, I'm sure!
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, my husband loves my jeans that fit like a second skin. The tighter the better. Why is that? I only wear them out for him. I'd rather bum around in something more relaxed.
I just gave you a sunshine award because I think your blog is fab. No worries if you are not interested in playing along. Just wanted to let you know.
http://lizajanesews.blogspot.com/2012/03/sunshine.html
Tres flirty length, eh?! I'd never seen that line of patterns, but you have totally sold me. And I kind of hate that, as I have too much on my to sew list. I'll just tell myself that this dress would never work on me. Zips + bias are a pain, but not impossible... Sunni will steer you right.
ReplyDeleteYes definitely make a muslin!! And maybe follow the sizing on the pattern envelope when you do ;)
ReplyDeleteI think the crazy bias seams was the one thing I wasn't quite expecting with this pattern. I've now got the shell of the dress made in my pretty silk and letting it hang helped some with the twisting - also Sunni's zipper tutorial was a major help!! My zipper doesn't buckle (thank God!!)
Hahaha!! Yes - I actually ended up tapering up to a 10 in the lower belly/hips just to let the fabric do that nice flirty drape. It fits good. And the zipper into the bias seam ... worked... but I'm probably 98% satisfied (i just squint my eyes at that last 2% !!)
ReplyDeleteOh husbands... I love you so... Haha!!
ReplyDeleteThe lines of this dress - and yes, the other Rachel Comey designs ;) are totally what sells me. They just are really unique to me and I HAD to give them a try. This dress is quite girly and flirty!
Thanks Crystal! I think so too :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Crystal! I think so too :)
ReplyDeleteHahaha - glad I'm not the only one!
ReplyDeleteYes, scandalous for sure - actually looking at these pictures it LOOKS longer than it FEELS when I wear it... it feels... yeah, scandalous!! And its definitely tight - but thats not the patterns fault, just mine for ignoring the sizing!
Oh thanks Robin!! I think its pretty cute too!
ReplyDeleteOOOOOHHHHH Whats a Sunshine Award!!!!?!?!?! Must go find out....
ReplyDeleteSoooo flirty. Actually thats the word that comes to mind every time I look at this dress!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry for giving you more "to sew" ideas (not really)! Damn blogs!!
And yes, Sunni is good. Goodgoodgood!
Looks COMPLICATED!! I, too, like that color blue on you (and yes I know that's just the muslin) Good luck!
ReplyDeleteoh, it's going to be one nice dress, once you figure the sizes out.. i also love the color of your muslin :)
ReplyDeletei never make muslines, though.. i'm way to lazy to do that.. i also have that idea that not making muslin saves my time.. i also have idea that sometimes i should just cut things off without measuring.. wrong ideas.. most of the time it would be way faster to just make the damn muslin, instead of trying to save ruined dress.. does that mean that i'm gonna make a muslin next time? absolutely not.. i'll keep on trying to make things 'faster'
oh, it's going to be one nice dress, once you figure the sizes out.. i also love the color of your muslin :)
ReplyDeletei never make muslines, though.. i'm way to lazy to do that.. i also have that idea that not making muslin saves my time.. i also have idea that sometimes i should just cut things off without measuring.. wrong ideas.. most of the time it would be way faster to just make the damn muslin, instead of trying to save ruined dress.. does that mean that i'm gonna make a muslin next time? absolutely not.. i'll keep on trying to make things 'faster'..
It's very cute! I especially love the color. With a few small adjustments, I think you'll have a total knock out dress perfect for a birthday occasion :)
ReplyDeletep.s. Lucille is the best name for a dog ever! ...but I may have a biased opinion ;)
Dude, I am SO glad I am not the only one who had problems with this effing pattern. Did no one test it before it got printed?! What I did to deal with the shoulder issue is gather way more in the back. I felt like there were way more ruching in the front and the back looked weird until I gathered it about 2-3 inches higher than they called for. But good call on the shortness issue. The only way I can wear this in public is with a super matte black tight because otherwise Howdy Booty!
ReplyDeleteOh i hate pattern sizing!
ReplyDeleteI've given you a Liebster Blog Award!
http://avintagethread.blogspot.co.uk/
xx
Oh man alive, that is going to be super cute! Tell Nick you're sorry, the length is necessary to keep the ole' hooie (or was it ha-ie) hidden... but i LOVE that front and center detailing. You (and all sewers here) have so much patience... I'm never one for a practice round... which has been bad in many ways... so good for you for putting in the time and getting it all straightened out. Can't wait to see the final piece! Hugs, the sis...
ReplyDeleteI HATE making muslins... but I also hate when I majorly screw things up so I decided to become a muslin convert. Actually I think I hate picking apart seams more than I hate making a muslin so thats why its my preferred method of working out problems!! Hahaha!
ReplyDeleteTotally a great dog name! Actually I have to give my husband the credit on that one - she's technically "his" dog - but I sure do love her!
ReplyDeleteYou know - I think the dress on the model doesn't have those funky strips of fabric that run from the front bodice down to the side... I keep checking it out - and I don't think they're there! Anyway - NO - its not just you! Its kind of a bizarre pattern. There is more ruching in the front than the back, but I'm kind of okay with that - I just felt like I had a lot of extra length right at my shoulder blades and the shoulders kept falling down so it looked like a bad 90's prom dress!
ReplyDeleteOh thanks Leah!! Now I'm off to go explore your blog....
ReplyDeleteI thinks its both the hooie and the ha-ie that need to be kept under wraps with this one!! But its totally cute, right?! Actually I have the real dress almost finished - and omg sis - you'll love it! It's a BIT of a princess dress!!
ReplyDeleteI had to learn the hard way about doing the practice round. Its just so heartbreaking when you put in all the time and effort and you end up with a total disaster. Like, if this had been my final dress in my pretty fabric... I'd probably have a nervous breakdown... So I'm a believer in muslins, if only to protect my own sanity. Slow and steady wins the pretty dress ...
I'm with you in that muslins are so important! I'm happy that you made the muslin and I'm even happier that you are sticking to the project and not just throwing it away. I have a feeling you can make it work :)
ReplyDeleteOh, crazy pattern sizing. So glad that you made a muslin. Even though there are quite a few things that you are going to change, it is going to be SO cute. It's easy to see that.
ReplyDeleteAlso, just saw you on the front page of burdastyle. Congrats on that!
I have complete faith in you to fix it. I think you're right about the strips - I just looked at the photo and they don't appear to be there. My skirt really flared out at the sides because of it but the photo and illustration look pretty a-line. WHO TESTED THIS PATTERN? Suzie Super Shoulders?
ReplyDeleteEek! Party dress! I love this style (and the color is great-- tell me you've got something finished in this color! It really suits you!)!
ReplyDeleteI wish they would give the finish garment measurements, it's always so hard to know if it will fit. Good luck with the next try, I'm sure it will be great!
ReplyDelete