Pattern Description: "Fitted, flared, floor length dress has lined bodice, three piece sleeve with finger thread loop and back lacing. Purchased trim and eyelets."
Pattern Sizing: 6-20, I made a size 10 with adjustments.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Mostly, except for the changes I made.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, but the dress is a pretty basic princess-seam dress so it's easy to make even without the instructions.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? My favorite thing about this costume is the sleeves for sure! I think they're what bring the whole look over the top into princess-y territory. I also liked the look of the lace-up back instead of the more typical invisible zipper.
I had some issues with the sleeve pattern pieces -- I couldn't get it to set in properly without gathers, but I'm also horrible at setting in sleeves, so that might be part of it. The lower sleeve pieces were also much too loose.
While I love the look of the wide neckline, I also found it difficult to keep the shoulders from sliding down, so I added in lingerie straps to help with that.
Fabric Used: I was just barely able to fit all of the pattern pieces onto a king-sized flat sheet. The lining is also more cotton sheet.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I changed the lower sleeve to be much more fitted, since it looked absurdly loose. I also chose not to line the lower sleeve, since there were so many layers of fabric at the seam where the lower sleeve, bell sleeve, and upper sleeve join together.
I didn't want the contrast panel in the front, and I also wanted the center front panel to line up with the princess seams on the bodice, so I redrew the lines of the center front and side front panels.
I added heavy duty cable ties to the inside edge of the lacing strips to keep it from bunching up when laced. I also ended up taking in the back quite a bit in order to get the fit I wanted, but I usually end up making a narrow back adjustment in all my dresses, so that's probably just me.
The hem allowance ended up being pretty huge on me (I'm 5'6"); I cut off about four inches in the front, tapering to nothing at the back for a bit of a train, and did a narrow hem.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I don't foresee needing more than one dress like this, but I definitely recommend it as a fairly easy costume pattern that has a great impact when finished!
Conclusion: It's not historically accurate, but I seriously love this dress. Even in a cheap fabric, it's got great movement and makes me feel like I can conquer the world (even if the sleeves are impractical for world-conquering)!
|
|Login|Help]
to add a link
Wow! Love it. The color is perfect and it fits you so well. The belt just adds so much too. Great job!
2/24/13 4:41 PM
So cool! It fits you beautifully. I would want to wear it everywhere.
2/24/13 5:36 PM
Lovely job. I showed my family, now they all want LOR outfits for the premiere of the Hobbit part II.
2/24/13 7:39 PM
Gorgeous dress and it looks beautiful on you!
2/24/13 7:54 PM
Wow, that IS really cool! Superb sewing :)
2/24/13 8:23 PM
What a wonderful dress. simple elegance.
2/25/13 9:23 AM
Love the idea of the cable ties, I had never thought of that, and usually use Rigilene. Nice look. Pam
2/25/13 12:08 PM
Oh wow! I love your dress. Great color combination and all the details are spectacular. I'm pretty confident that you're the only one who will ever know that the golds aren't a perfect match. Great job!
2/25/13 1:19 PM
Great dress! I love it.
2/25/13 11:13 PM