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Oh Kathy I had to laugh when I saw the start of your review. My portofino attempt is in a pile of re-do projects, where I give it a hefty kick whenever I see it. I had very similar issues to you and I worked very hard to make it work. I just didn't have the staying power. I'm so glad that your dress did work and it looks great on you. Great job and great review.
7/12/05 12:49 PM
Wow-what an experience!! I too have projects from fabric which never seems to end-lol! And of course have tried to make complete garments from new patterns in a day or less. Somehow I've never gotten that to work, so I congratulate you- your dress is not only finished, but it looks *great*!
7/12/05 1:04 PM
I looked at the pattern first and thought, "How simple! How elegant!" Now I realize the nice lines are a result of hard work with less than elegant thoughts about the pattern!! Thanks for the tip on this one!
7/12/05 1:04 PM
Very entertaining and helpful review! Your finished product is very flattering, so you really should give it another go (with a less evil fabric).
7/12/05 1:12 PM
It looks like all the aggravation was worth it - the dress looks wonderful on you! I know I have some polyester crepes in my stash - they will be out the door by the weekend. What WAS I thinking?
7/12/05 1:16 PM
I like your dress Kathy, I want one too. I should get this pattern but I will heed your experiences.
7/12/05 1:33 PM
OK, I must be a glutton for punishment, but your review -- even with all of its obstacles -- makes me want this pattern I never looked at twice before. It looks great on you, and big congrats for getting it done in time for the wedding and keep all of your hair intact. Excellent review!
7/12/05 4:26 PM
Fabric that pro-creates in the dark? Yep, got that!! Thanks for a humorous and informative review.
7/12/05 4:28 PM
I really like the end product so don't let the review discourage you from the dress. I went in such detail so others can avoid the problems I had. Thanks for your kind comments.
7/12/05 4:35 PM
Beautiful dress after all you trials I am glad it turned out,. Oh OH I just bought this pattern I had seen couple of reviews and decide it would be nice for the cruise we are going on next Feb.
7/12/05 4:50 PM
What a great review. Sorry to hear about your difficulties, but well done for tenacity. I made this dress once, and then binned it immediately before anyone could ever see it as it looked just like the bag with holes cut in it that you described!!! Maybe I should revisit this pattern some time.
7/12/05 5:15 PM
I am cracking up about the polyester crepe! I had a very similar sewing experience (though unfortunately for me, not the great finished product) with black polyester crepe a couple of years ago. Mine is now wadded up in a landfill somewhere in Southeast Michigan! Great dress... too bad it was such a pain the rump! Good for you to get it done for the intended occasion!
7/12/05 5:19 PM
What a hilarious review although I'm sure you didn't think it was funny at the time. Your dress really did turn out very nice but what an ordeal getting there. I have a piece of blue tencel that procreates in the dark like your crepe. Congratulations on your tenacity and resourcefulness in turning out such a well-fitting dress against such odds.
7/12/05 5:44 PM
Wow, what a great review, I have this pattern and keep thinking about making it, when I do, a copy of this review will be in the pattern envelope. I love the shape of the dress on you .
7/12/05 6:38 PM
this dress is really beautiful - good job!
7/12/05 6:46 PM
What a wonderful review! I've made two of the Portofinos and can relate with the polyester problems. Slowly, very slowly, I'm beginning to realize that LH's simple dresses can be fine in the bodice, but when the weight of the skirt is added....oh my. When I made mine (one a lovely, soft but recalcitrant polyester from Hancock's and the other a cotton gauzey-but-not-see-through from same), I tried holding down the necklline with a decorative hemstitch a la a recent Threads article. It worked pretty well since it doesn't show so clearly where my hand/eye coordination quit on me. The cotton turned out quite nicely thank you. The polyester (like yours, meant to be a 'little black dress to wear everywhere)...well, it stayed together during the conference dinner!!
7/12/05 8:20 PM
Great review...and your hostas are really spectacular too!
7/12/05 9:29 PM
I love your persitence. Good job in the end. Looks good.
7/13/05 6:04 AM
I admire your tenacity and the outcome is very lovely. I do love the look on you: perfect for your figure and well suited to the little black dress genre
7/13/05 6:10 AM
Great review! An excellent cautionary tale, much better reading than the NYTimes this morning with my first cup of tea.
7/13/05 9:04 AM
And you looked lovely in that dress that you finished with time to spare! Great review. Thanks for the oodles of information. I think, actually, that I might check out some other patterns before I venture into this one!
7/13/05 11:55 AM
You deserve an award for finishing this one and still having a sense of humor. The dress, however, looks terrific, a flattering, versatile dress, so at least your labors were rewarded!
7/13/05 1:42 PM
Read this at the end of a long day and it really made me laugh. You did a terrific job to get such a good looking dress in the end. Such a helpful and informative review but I don't think this pattern is going on my wish-list!
7/13/05 1:59 PM
Bless you for the entertaining read at the end of my long work day! Have you considered tucking linen or some such fabric under your ever-replenishing stack of evil black crepe--perhaps the next day you would have a blend!! You are lovely in your dress, btw.
7/13/05 7:11 PM
Love the dress - it looks fantastic - and the review is great - I feel like I've actually met the evil black polyester!! :) Great!
7/13/05 11:28 PM
Kathy you make me laugh with your review!!! I made this twice, without your trials and tribulations, but I did have to add some darts in the back, and its tight to pull over my chest... I have some polyester that I think is cut from the same bolt yours is! I know the feeling of wanting to make something into confetti!
7/14/05 6:09 PM
Kathy, I had to laugh at the description of the hefty bag. The dress looks great. I had the same problem, once I attached the skirt, the skirt pulled the bodice down to the waist, which looked ok, except there was now far too much fabric from under the bust to the thigh, so I ran the sides in about 3" on each side, the result was a dress that fitted beautifully and swung out from the top of the thigh. I didn't have trouble with the sleeves being tight, but they definitely are snug. I do want to make this dress again, but with some changes to the bodice, I did find that it did gap some, and to overcome this I used a beautiful brooch right where it laps over, in the centre. I also never use Loes finishing techniques, and I lined the bodice. I used an onion skin. Fran
9/28/05 5:12 PM
Even though I knew from your first sentence that this project was worlds beyond my beginning skills, I read through the entire review just for good laughs! You are hilarious, describing your experiences with the evil black polyester! Thanks for the good humor!
12/1/09 4:09 PM