Vogue 1208

 

Remember this dress?  I made it!  It doesn't look like that though... I think you have to be tall to look like that..

One of the things I really liked about it was the neckline. It isn't quite as elegant on me though. (Oh, and that pretty crystal headband- I put on all those stones yesterday too.  Almost a gross...super sparkly. I got the crystals on sale!)

I sewed this dress on Sunday.  It is SUPER quick (although I took some short cuts since I didn't really understand all the instructions).  It is bias cut so it has to hang for 24 hours, so I hemmed it today.

Front view:

This is a straight size 14 (for non-sewers, store sizes and pattern sizes have no correlation!).  My bust fit in 14, my waist in 18 and my hips in 16.  When I made it I planned on cutting a 14 and grading to make it bigger in the lower body.  Honestly, I wish I had made a 12!  I think the neckline is too big for my shoulders, and the whole thing just feels loose. It is described as "fitted" but NO WAY.  I have a huge amount of ease in the tummy, and I am many sizes too small for me! If I do make a 12 (which I don't have in my pattern envelope, so I won't) then I might grade out to the 14 for the waist, but this is plenty big.

Back view:

(The fabric is quite wrinkly- some fell out with the hanging but I could NOT get it to press out.  There is also so extra fabric in the back that I think a swayback adjustment would help, but I just don't get alterations.  I don't have the patience or the money to learn to make them... so I just cut patterns as is and hope.)

Here is a close up of the bow.  I didn't do the "knot" detail because it involved pressing pleats, and my fabric was having none of that.  Plus I think this looks fine.  Here you can see how the lining peaks out.  Since I can't get anything to press down, I don't know how to fix that. Honestly, it doesn't bother me. (Oh, and my bra won't peak out- I plan to wear strapless!)

Here is one of the short cuts.

I didn't understand the instructions to join the sleeves at ALL, so I turned the dress back around, sewed up the seams 1/4", flipped it out and joined them with 3/8 seams (instead of 5/8 since I used up 1/4).  You can tell I did this if you are a sewer and look at the sleeve view on the none bow side. It puckers just a bit.  But Kevin (who is super picky) didn't notice until I pointed it out, so once again, I'm not concerned- it's not couture.


Here is another short cut.

The hem is shorter than I intended (but I like it) because 1) I hemmed it before hanging, since I didn't see the instruction and had to cut the hem off since seam ripping black on black on fragile fabric was not working and 2) The first hem I did had over an inch in variance! Hugely uneven, almost purposefully aysmettrical looking.  Kevin helped me mark the current hem, and it looks MUCH better.  But, so it wouldn't be even shorter, rather than turning twice, I just turned once.  The black serger thread makes it so that you can't tell even if it flips up a bit.

So what does a formal dress for a cruise cost?
The pattern was $3.99
The black fabric, crepe back satin, $12.45 (4.98/yd) The bias cut wastes more fabric than it uses- hopefully I can find something to do with the remnants.
The lining $3.98 ($1.99/yd). 
So $20.42.   I could probably find a dress on sale for that, but you don't get that awesome- I made this!!! feeling.
(Notion used was bias tape I've had in my stash as long as I can remember, a new needle, and some coats and clark stash thread.  We'll call it $22...)

Quick question- does anyone know what understitching is?  It told me to understitch the lining.  Does that mean sew the lining seam allowance to the dress seam allowance?  I googled and still couldn't tell.  So I just didn't do anything.... 

Oh, one more question- do you think I should try to take in the dress a bit in the upper body, so it has more shaping and looks less like a sack of potatoes, or just leave well enough alone?  I'd do that after the cruise.  I am leaving this as is for now.

New Patterns...

I often take advantage of the 99 cent pattern sales for Simplicity, McCall, and Butterick. It is difficult to justify spending more than that on a pattern. However, Vogue has some beautiful patterns and they all get great review on Pattern Review. I decided to take a chance and try a few out. These were on sale for $3.99 each, making them cheaper than Kwik Sew or Jalie (I love Jalie) but still expensive. Unlike those other two brands, they still come on the cheap tissue paper, which I don't like.

I am hoping to make a cruise dress- these are the four I decided on. (Pictures from Vogue Patterns website)

This one is my favorite. I plan to make it with the Charmeuse fabric I have, which might be a little too light weight (Charmeuse is suggested for the lining...). Kevin doesn't think this one will look good on me :( It only has 2 reviews on Pattern Review, so I'm not sure what to expect with it.

This one caught my eye a while back, but I thought it would cling to much too my stomach, and the more I looked at it the less flattering I thought it was even on the model. However, it was named a best pattern on Pattern Review, and TONS of people have made it and it looks excellent on a wide variety of body types. I'm excited to try it. I've read it has a unique construction, which worries me, as I'll have to alter it to fit my petite frame. Stupid petite frame.

This would be a more casual beach dress. Kevin hates it. However, again it was named a top pattern on PR, and tons of people have made it with all different body types. I'm excited about this one. I plan to use a knit I got from Gorgeous Fabrics a few years back, a black and white sunflower print.

You'll be shocked to hear Kevin hates this one too. I don't think he can look past the model's photo (it also isn't very flattering) to just see the shape of the dress. (That is something challenging about sewing- to imagine what it could be, rather than what it is being shown as.) This is another pattern rated as a top pattern on PR, and a ton of people have made it, and it flatters a large number of body types. Essentially though, this dress is a sack of potatoes with a belt. I'm not sure what fabric I have for this- as I don't have many wovens.