Vogue Patterns: 8615 (Misses' Dress)  - Type:Dresses  | | Viewed 313 times
| 22 more reviews | Review rated Helpful by 1 people Very Helpful by 3 people | | Reviewed by: | Erinaceous | 
| About Erinaceous | | NY USA | | Member since: 7/11/10 | | Reviews written: 25 | | Sewing skills:Intermediate | | Favored by: 1 people | | patterns reviewed: 25 | | Bio: more... |
| | Posted on: | 1/1/13 8:08 PM | | Project Photo: |  | | Pattern Photo: | 
Vogue Patterns Pattern InfoMore Info provided by Erinaceous | | Pattern Rating: | Pattern OK, but did NOT work for Me | | See other patterns in this category: Dresses | Available for sale on PR: $16.88 (See envelope)  | | | | Fabric: | Cotton - Quilting [See other projects in this fabric] | | Related Links | Click on  to add a link |
| Pattern Description:
Although not a vintage pattern, this is a vintage-styled dress. Vogue describes it as follows--MISSES' DRESS: Lined, below mid-knee or below mid-calf dresses A, B have fitted bodice, back neckline is lower than front and three-quarter or full length sleeves, flared skirt has side seam pockets and back zipper. Purchased petticoat and belt. Separate pattern pieces provided for A, B, C, D cup sizes.
Pattern Sizing:
BB(8-10-12-14), F5(16-18-20-22-24)
Top and sleeves were cut as 16, grading down to 18 for hips.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes, after I made modifications.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
Sure, nothing complicated.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
Like: I like the vintage styling of this dress, and will enjoy wearing it out to events. Also, POCKETS!! 
The bodice darts gave me pointy boobs. So I modified them to be curved at the end to follow a more natural bustline.
Back bodice: before I played the tailor, the top felt and looked loose in odd ways. Baggy, almost, which is not the point of a dress of this style. Pulling it in at the top of the zipper reduced the ease in the setting of the wide open portrait neckline. Then I added a dart to both sides of the back bodice as well. I read that another reviewer who made this dress in cotton did the same.
In total I graded the zipper opening in ~1" on each side, and took out ~2" with diamond-shaped darts on each side. That means that I took out approximately 3" fabric in various areas of the back bodice on each side--6 inches of extra fabric total over a 3-dimensional surface. Sounds like a lot but the bodice fits well now and I think it looks good, too.
Added 2.5" of length to the bodice at the bottom.
Needs to be worn with a strapless bra, which I do not actually mind (as seen in my photos).
Fabric Used:
Navy, fuschia, and white Liberty ikat print (a special edition of an old quilting cotton print for the Victoria and Albert museum).
Lined with coordinating fuschia cotton that has some stretch and a little sheen.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
1. Removed some of the sleeve cap ease--too bulky as originally drafted.
2. Rounded bodice front darts for a more natural-looking bust
3. Moved the top of the zipper in ~1" on each side
4. Extended the back bodice darts up the back, taking in another 2" on each.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
My wardrobe does not call for more than one vintage-looking dress like this.
If you are making it, you should definitely make a muslin (unless you fancy tailoring at the end as I typically do). With the weight of the lining and the full skirt you'd need to make a fully-lined muslin to accurately gauge the effects of your changes and needs for final fitting.
Conclusion:
Pretty dress with a vintage feel. I like it, and am looking forward to twirling in the full beautiful skirt. I'm going to have to start smiling in the photos I take...
More modifications to the back bodice in the finishing of this dress than I would have imagined. I have been pondering the reasons why... The neckline is very open. All that skirt is pretty heavy. This is my first experience with the cup size system of the Vogue Pattern system. Although my bra size is DD, the cup size instructs you to take your measurements at underarm then bust so I was instructed to cut the B in this pattern (counterintuitive). Maybe I cut the wrong size to begin with...but I don't think so. The sleeves and armscyes were both 16 and the fit is correct.
Maybe it's just the pattern.
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3 Comments
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Thanks for providing so much detail about how you sewed this dress. The end result is lovely, and looks as though it now fits perfectly :-)
1/1/13 9:45 PM
Lovely dress, great work on the fit. And it has pockets!
1/2/13 3:55 AM
Yes, please smile after a job well-done!
1/2/13 8:19 AM