Butterick 5382 Part 2

After the first fit photos, I sewed the sleeves in using a zig zag as the basted stitches seemed tight. I took in the waist seam; I just used the old seam and ran the edge of the Q foot along it, which amounted to 3/8" taken off the bodice and 3/8" off the skirt. This brought the seam right at the top of the darts, which I didn't adjust. There is a little puckering but I think it's okay. I didn't adjust the back seams at all as I didn't have anyone to help pin it and I didn't want to get silly. This is the "real" look...hair, make up, good bra and undergarments, LOL. The pictures in the last post were unhemmed, and I hemmed it, I think 1 1/2" (even though the patterned "allowed" for 1 1/4"). I see here that the front is a little shorter than the back, so I do need to adjust the back center and waist seams.

I'm not sure why I'm standing crooked, LOL. The pleating around the neck is not too obvious with the patterned fabric, but it is visible in real life. I think the fabric worked well with this pattern, considering that it was a Value Village find. Again, not my ideal colour, but I needed a thin fabric that wouldn't be too thick with the pleating.

The shoulder/sleeve seam is a little off my shoulder, although in this picture, it looks like I don't actually have shoulders, just a gradual slope down from the neckline to the elbow, LOL. Would it be possible to take out the sleeve, trim the shoulder back just a little, and resew in the sleeve? Would that create other issues, or could the knit fabric compensate? I know if I was redoing this, that sort of alteration would mean lengthening the sleevehead too, right? Or widening? I am really pleased at my first major attempt at sewing a knit garment. For the most part, the seams weren't nearly the issue I thought they'd be. While I had used a 3 step zig zag on the sleeve hems, I used a straight stitch on the skirt hem. I did hear that dreadful sound as I was getting in the truck though, and indeed, I will need to re-hem it. I also think the join between the bodice and skirt could be better--I had just used a straight stitch, but it seems a little jagged when you look at the inside. My biggest beef was using the seam tape on the shoulder--oh boy, the first step and I was hating it....LOL. Then, you fold the seam taped shoulder seam so both seam allowances, AND both seam allowances of the facing are pressed the same way. Well, that's six layers (plus the knit interfacing, which actually worked for me!). I opted to spread the shoulder seams open instead.

Today I got some Threads issues, and one of them had an article about knit patterns, and how you have to make sure the back armhole is this much bigger, and the seams match, and this and that...and I'm SO glad I didn't read this first! LOL. I'm eager to sew some more knits! I don't need a lot of dresses, but this blue dress is actually my only dress with sleeves!