Take Two

This is the second version of Butterick 5028. This time I used my favorite full skirt - Kwik Sew 3337. I graded the top down so the armholes were a size 14, I shortened the shoulder length and cut front piece with the edge 3/8" off the fold. I also lengthened the bodice by 1". It's still not perfect. I wore a cardigan over it all evening and it was perfect. But the front gapes and man do I have cleavage in this dress! Which is amazing because I normally don't have cleavage. Feels rather uncomfortable if you're not used to it. Although the camera doesn't lie - I feel skinny wearing this dress. Other than the issues with the bodice it is very comfortable to wear. I still need to find some new strappy heels. I don't like the look of the flip flops with the dress - but we were headed out and I knew we would be walking once we got downtown. These shoes were the best option other than wearing my Danskos.

Anyone have ideas on how to fix the back? I don't know what to do. I really like this dress and may attempt one more version. It's pretty distinctive so I can't have too many of the same style in the closet, but I would like to work out the back issues. I think it looks so much better with this skirt, rather than a full rectangle skirt. I love the look of a dress with a full skirt. Claire has been telling me to try a slimmer skirt. While I'm not sure I want to go pencil skirt slim, I do like the way this skirt looks and will attempt more pattern frankensteining.

This Weekend Was All About Knitting

But, I took a vacation day on Monday and finished the Take 2 Dress. It looks horrible on Lou - hopefully, it will look better on me.

First, photos I promised VeeDogKnitter- the one on the left shows how I lay the front pattern piece on the fold to take out some of the flare from the center front. The top of the pattern piece is 5/8" (seam allowance) from the fold and then I just layed it "straight."

Because the bodice I was using this skirt for didn't have a center back seam - I also placed the back pattern piece on the fold. This time just placing the seam 5/8" from the fold all the way down the length of the piece.

Let me say - adding Kwik Sew 3337 as the skirt to the Butterick dress wasn't really well thought out. This skirt doesn't have side seams - the side panels wrap around your hip. The dress calls for a side zipper. The skirt uses a center back zipper, the dress has a deep V that overlaps in the back. It went together okay, but I could have made better choices. I'm actually going to take the original dress apart and use Simplicity 5914 as the skirt portion.

Anyway - here is the Take Two dress on Lou. It's no wonder I can't sew for the body I live in - Lou is padded out to fit a body that is about 15# less than I am currently. The dress looks horrible on Lou - hopefully it will look better on me. There will be no photos of me wearing the dress anytime soon as we are headed into a couple days of rain. But I promise to make JB take a photo or two as soon as the weather cooperates. And now I've done it - I've taken elements of one pattern that I love and added them to another that I know fits. It worked and wasn't really that hard.

Take Two

See, I really like this dress. And I've really wanted to have it in my closet for a long, long time. So, I'm not letting the disappointment of the last one not going to stop me. In fact, it is prompting me to do something I've never done before.

I'm making this dress again - this weekend. I'm using this pretty green and purple swirled cotton that I've had for almost 10 years. This new thing that I'm gonna do? Well after taking the bodice seams in as well as grading the shoulders down, I've been flat measuring to see if my favorite quick sew skirt will fit onto the bodice of this dress. I have never mixed pattern pieces from different envelopes - not even within the same pattern company.

So the KS skirt has gores and falls straight from the waist into a full skirt. Finally - after a couple of failures with gathered skirts - I'm finally starting to get it - step away from the full gathered skirt - it doesn't work on you! But I get tons of compliments on the KS skirt.

In fact, I wore the daisy skirt with a white tee to the mall yesterday to get a hair cut and attempt to do a

little shopping. The only salesperson I could get to talk to me, was a woman in the makeup department of Nordstroms, who jumped out and grabbed me as I was walking by. She said "Oh, where did you get your skirt? I love it!" I had to break her heart and tell her I made it - she wasn't going to be able to have one. She wasn't the only complete stranger to comment on my skirt yesterday.

Don't Tell Me

The dress is too big! I don't know what my problem is lately - I either sew for my really old body - the one that was 90+# heavier; or the slightly older body - the one that was 20+# slimmer; but I can't manage to sew for the body I'm currently living in. Looking at these photos - especially that side view - I really need to start standing up straight! I need to get some better foundation garments. I need to start working my arms out! However, I've said it before and I'll say it again - for 44 I don't look horrible! This was a super simple dress to make and while I'm not sure the style is particularly flattering on my - I might actually make it again. In another fun summer cotton print. Both of the bust darts need to be lowered. The front is too wide, but I believe I could keep the back the size it is and just overlap the back sections more. That would make the need for a specialty bra unnecessary. Some people spend a lot of time on photo shoots. I'm obviously not one of them. I had just finished the dress and ran upstairs to try it on. It was about 8:00 p.m. and JB had just got home from work. he was going to take the photo on the back deck with the coolers in the frame. At the end I was looking at something and he snapped a photo. I don't have a photographer who keeps snapping until he gets a flattering photo - he takes one shot - either use it or don't! The dress is Butterick 5028 and the original post can be found here. And from Sommerset, how about a parting shot? I love daisies! I think they are such fun, innocent, friendly flowers. We have a bunch in the yard - and I thought one might like to be shown with my daisy :) Yep - it's really a tattoo on my foot!

Strike While the Iron is Hot

I haven't felt much like sewing garments lately - so I've been knitting and doing craft sewing. Don't get me wrong - I love the crafting sewing, but garment sewing is my first love. So this afternoon while I was finally running my errands - picking up fresh fruits and veggies and rounding out the meat in the freezer. I started thinking about a pretty summer dress pattern and a piece of pink floral fabric that had been in the cupboard since right around the time The Princess was born (trust me - that's a long time ago). As soon as I had dealt with the food, I left the car in the driveway - believe it or not, we actually park in the garage. Anyway - JB had offered to vacuum my car as I was leaving. I made some comment about how I'd like to get done while I still had some day. I had enough day left to iron the fabric and pattern tissue. To cut out the dress and bodice lining, I may still cut a lining for the skirt. and to construct the bodice. Tomorrow morning, I'll be constructing the skirt and checking to see if I have a suitable zipper. Hopefully, by this week's knit night - I'll have a fun new summer dress. The pattern is Butterick 5028, and I think it might be almost as old as the fabric.