dress

At the time I purchased the pattern and fabric for the jersey knit dress I also picked up this Fast & Easy pattern collection.

I particularly liked the drawsting dress (D) since it would be something I could “grow into” this summer. The fabric I chose was this embroidered linen that was the last of the bolt at Joann’s.

It was really easy to put together and only required the cutting of 5 pieces (front top, front skirt, back top, back skirt and drawstring). I’m really happy with the fabric even though its a little thin.  The only dilemma is that the top (bust) is a little tight and when I cinch the drawstring its right in the middle of my bust and not below it. 

For those savvy sewers out there do you have any suggestions on how I can fix it without having to start over?

My thought is that since the lower skirt fits, I could try redoing the top by adding an inch to the pattern at the bottom so that I can lower the drawstring hole. Either that or I start over with the next size pattern and turn this fabric into a skirt.  What are your thoughts?

Well, I went a little nutty during the grand opening of a new Joann store last weekend.  The store was by no means in the neighborhood but the extra drive was well-worth the trip.

I came away with two new dress patterns, and plenty of fabric.  I’ve made a couple of skirts in the past but haven’t really tried making a dress.  At first, I found way too many patterns I liked so I reverted back to my plan which was to stick to something super simple and something that I will wear a lot! 

So, Saturday morning I jumped all over the first pattern.  It’s a simple a-line dress with pin-tucked detail in a stretch knit fabric. 

Butterick pattern B5349

Review:  This is one of the few times I’ve completed a project that worked out perfectly!  There was no frustration or confusion in the directions even when it came to installing the invisible zipper.  It was well illustrated and all the instructions were on ONE SINGLE PAGE!  As we would say at work it was the ideal user experience! :)  

The knit jersey fabric has a lot of stretch and is something I haven’t work with but once I tested out my thread tension and followed directions, it was a piece of cake. 

I would say that the sizing of this pattern was a little on the big side but it’s intended to be a very loose fitting dress.  To give it a little more shape I will likely wear it with a skinny belt which also helps to dress it up a bit. I would show a photo of me wearing it but I’m way to judgemental!  It can also be dressed down and would make for a great swimsuit cover-up. 

Now that I’m invigorated by a successful first attempt, I hope to work on the second dress sometime later this week.  More progress to come.