I Really Like(d) This Hat

Okay. Everything I want to post about has pictures still on the Memory card and I don't feel like downloading them/editing. I have this glove picture above because I was going to write about them and a hat and mitts....but now I can't delete the picture. I try left clicking--it adds the little squares around the picture. I right click, those squares go away, and 'cut' is greyed out in the box of options that shows. Mmmm....





Anyway, lets go with this post instead:

This is a dress I made for Rob's work Christmas party. I used New Look 6557, view B, without the tie belt. I thought I'd be able to wear a bra under this one (but the straps didn't line up right). This is the same pattern (used view A then) I used for the flowered dress I took on the cruise--the one that was too big in the back and was way too hard for an "Easy!" pattern.

This time I used a flocked taffeta from FabricLand, $6.99/m (and I get the club discount on top of that). Used about 2.5m so it was very economical. Most of the fabrics I looked at were $25/m!! When I saw this one, I thought it was too red, but at the cutting table it looked more burgandy so I went with it instead of black. It was a little stiff, but washed up nice, although it is still noisy, LOL, and wrinkles (not crumply wrinkles, but wrinkles from being folded up on the edge of the table inbetween work sessions). This fabric made making the dress a WHOLE lot easier and enjoyable.

My biggest issue--the straps. They are long and skinny (continuing up from the bodice to the back in one piece). It was hard to keep the fabric straight while cutting, and then I had some sewing issues (you cannot easily understitch the lining when both edges will be seamed to the lining! I guess that's why it didn't say to understitch the edging!).

I can't get the bottom inner edge of the bodice cups to look like the picture on the pattern. I felt that you shouldn't need 2 1/2 inches of ease in the bust of this type of top, but perhaps I needed a bit more than what I have. The one that overlaps in particular does not lay flat.

The other fit issue is the sides of the bodice. I didn't take the time to measure myself much, but I know I'm short waisted. I figured it wouldn't matter much with this style--that the wide bodice waist would make my middle look longer. However, there was sagging at the side seams. At first, I took it in a little, more off the back than the front. This helped, but not enough. Then I thought about the issue, and realized that the skirt was not as high up as it should be, even though it's not tightly fitted, it still showed that it wasn't fitted right. I ripped out those bits of seams and took a bit off the bodice waist, and that helped. To totally eliminate that bulging at the sides, I'd have to totally take it apart and resize the back pieces and the waist piece, and figure out what that does to the hem...

I did do the zipper twice. I was trying to be careful and picky the first time, but I realize that if the first step is not the best, there's no way to improve it later; it goes downhill. The second time looked GREAT! I do have an issue with what to do with the top of the zipper and the lining. The instructions say to fold the zipper tape over the back, but that was really bulky. And I found it really hard to keep the zipper stitching straight at the top when the zipper thingy gets in the way and spreads it out. But it looks okay somehow. I wore it proudly and comfortably, although I did need a shawl, LOL.

I'll probably give another view of this dress a try, in a heavier, non-slippery fabric again. They do suggest satin, but OMG. How do you sew satin? LOL.