Upton Girl

AKA - The Bronco's Dress.

Once again I was a tester for Cashmerette.  I am currently having a love/hate relationship with pattern testing.  There are a few reasons for this.  A.   I've mentioned before that I really, really dislike putting together PDFs and no matter how careful I am in trimming my pages, I always have trouble putting them together and getting them to lay flat - BUT I realize that is on me and not the pattern.  2.  I often feel like testing feels like a job and takes the relaxing out of sewing for me.  Those issues aside - when I saw the line drawings for the Upton dress I was All In!

At that same shopping trip with Niema where I bought the Nicole Miller animal print - I also bought this Nicole Miller rayon twill.  I loved the colors.

I will be the first to admit - that this dress doesn't fit me as well as it could.  That seems to be a standard refrain for me when I'm making something new.  At a stable weight - I have no idea how big (or small) I am.  Even with my measurements - I don't always trust them.  When I make this dress again I will go down 2 (or maybe 3) sizes - I can now pinch out almost 4" at the waist.  Again - that's on me and not the pattern or instructions.  And trust me - I am still wearing this - I wore it on Saturday to an ASG event.

The Upton is a sleeveless dress, with a 4 dart bodice front, and both waist and shoulder darts in the back.  There are 2 neckline options (V or Round).  There is a waist band and the option of a deep box pleats or a gored skirt.  If you need to have sleeves it would be easy enough to add a sleeve - I'm a big fan of adding the football shaped cap sleeve to sleeveless dresses - it adds just enough that if your job dress code requires sleeves, you'd be compliant.

And - the Upton has all important pockets and is lined through the waist with a back zipper.  I would add either belt loops or thread chains to a future make because I like wearing a belt but like to keep it on the waistband.
 
In the view I made (V-neck, box pleats) there is no neckline gaping, no need for a swayback adjustment and it's a fun, twirly, girly dress - but subdued enough for work wear.

Due to the testing period - I finished this dress right before the Superbowl and is my habit, I wore my newly finished dress to the Superbowl party we went to.  Because my fabric is navy blue with pops of orange - JB dubbed it The Broncos Dress!  Apparently what I wear influences the outcome of the SuperBowl because the Broncos won.  There has been a request to make an Eagles dress :\

The construction of this dress was quick - even making a lining.  The pieces fit together as they should and I followed the order of construction.  The pattern as it was sent out for testing had a full lining - which I didn't include.  My fabric didn't need it and I couldn't be bothered.  The pattern has now been altered to only have a lined bodice.

If I remember correctly (I really should start drafting blog posts as I make things, rather than try to remember 5 month later!) I assembled and traced the PDF one weekend while I was prepping my fabric.  The next weekend I cut it out and sewed it up.  There is a beautifully inserted orange invisible zipper - which has never been undone because in it's too big state - the dress slips right over my head without unzipping.

My next planned version will be the same - v-neck with the box pleats.  In an embroidered cotton that I bought from Fabric Mart.  It was an end of the bolt special.  I had bought the fabric right before Carolyn's first visit to the West Coast and we saw a very similar dress to the Upton made in an almost identical fabric that year at Sew Expo.  Hopefully - I can make that dress up soon - but with a puppy joining our family next weekend and then a lovely tropical vacation right around the corner it might marinate another year.

See how good the back looks?

Parting thoughts

• This is a great dress that is easy to wear
• It feel feminine and flirty
• In the scoop neck, gored skirt in wool it would be a workhorse
• This pattern will be used make a great TNT to do 'inspiration' dresses ala Carolyn