A Tale of Two Dresses

I wish I could say:  "It was the best of fit, it was the worst of fit."  Fortunately for you, dear readers, all the drama queen energy in my family seems to have gone straight from my Mom to my sister, so my writing style is not nearly as melodramatic as that of Charles Dickens.

But this is a story about fit.  The first dress, the brown dress, was completed in January.  I didn't bother with a muslin, because sometimes it takes me months to make a wearable garment if I muslin first.  So it wasn't until after I made it that I realized that the bust darts pointed to where my girls used to be, like 10 years ago.  And the buttons not only don't quite match up to the buttonholes, but they are a bit strained as well.  Fortunately, the more than fabulous Alexander Henry print quilting cotton and the pockets hide, or at least distract the eye from, the most egregious sins.  And oh yeah, if I showed you a close-up, you'd see that the collar is upside down.  You'll have to go to Pattern Review to see that.

Fast forward a few months and, after visits with measuring tape wielding bra specialists at more than one store (yes, I insisted on a second opinion) I'm no longer able to delude myself that the B cup provided by Simplicity 2246 will fit me.  But I liked the first dress, and I wear it, even with the off fit.  So I decided to revisit the pattern, to revisit the quilting cotton (Dear Stella, this time), to revisit the neutral colors - grey, this time - and to do something new: try to make an FBA.  I also bought a buttonhole marker, so that I could place the buttons better for my larger and lower girls.

Thank goodness for coffin back.  Not much to see or do here.

The second dress is better.  The fit is better and the construction is better.   I even put the collar on right side up.  And I petited the sleeve so that I could roll it up.  But the fit could still be better.  I probably have too many books on fit now, because all the knowledge in them helps me to see the problems opportunities for improvement.  For example, there are a lot of wrinkles around the armholes.  Next time I make a top, I'll try shortening the sleeve opening a  bit.

For now, there is an easy solution for all my fitting woes with these dresses.  Cover ups.  As in jackets and sweaters.

Mwahahahaha.  These dresses have escaped the guillotine.  The pattern, however?  Its not so lucky.  Its appointment still stands.

And by guillotine, I mean scissors.  I'll alter the pattern and try it again.  Its a shirtdress after all, and shirtdresses, like Dickens, are classic.

OK, maybe I did get some of the drama queen energy from my Mom.  Thanks Mom!

The Zero Skirt

Or the first skirt, depending on where you start counting.  My apartment, for example, is on the third floor, but I have to walk up 3 flights of steps to get to it, which means I start at zero.

But I digress.  Already.

Back in 2010, I decided to start sewing.  My mom, of course, helped.  Cuz she's like that.  She gave me her old sewing machine - the one that had been sitting in the basement for 15 years.  (Yes, Mom, it was 15!)  She took me to a couple of fabric stores and helped me pick out fabrics and patterns, and then marveled at my decision to make my first sewn object without using a pattern.

With the help of a few books, some muslin, and perhaps a few undisclosed, pharmaceutical mood enhancers, I drafted an a-line wrap skirt with fringed edges, and used snap tape for the closure.

Why 2 sets of snap tape?  Cuz I did, at one point, take the skirt in to help it fit better.

That skirt was made from linen - I love linen! - and the next one was made from denim.  With the denim skirt, I was much more courageous and actually attempted a zipper insertion.  Button holes, however, still scared me, so I used a hook and eye and sewed on a button for decoration.

I picked a bright red zipper and installed it center style, so that it became a DESIGN FEATURE! 

Hems are still my nemesis.  If you're looking closely, please ogle the beaded fringe and ignore the stitches.

Fortunately, both skirts were successful.  So successful, in fact, that I have continued to sew and have decided to brag blog about my sewing, on a hopefully regular basis.  

What's my criteria for success?  I still wear both skirts.  The linen one is shown with RTW tops, while the denim one is shown with a me made top.  A peasant blouse that I might blog about in my next post.  Which will be the first one.  Cuz that's how I count.

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