*insert 100 decibel scream here*
I am not a great shape for these sorts of dresses. I know that, its been proven time and time again. But I found this gorgeous fabric. Linen/spandex …. a fabric I don’t usually wear. In a big muted floral print, something I almost always don’t wear either. But I have been stretching a lot of my boundaries lately, so why not this one.
Next is pattern choice ….. Ottobre – Sleeveless dress. A straight up and down shift, not a design I usually wear, but this pattern range has been refreshingly diverse with its plus sized designs, so I thought I would give it a go.
But …. I made my first mistake. First rule of sewing a new design (especially with special fabric) … MAKE A MUSLIN! (a test of the design). I didn’t, cutting my fabric. I conveniently forgot that I need at least 10cm on the waist and hips for a comfortable fit. I get away with it in knits, but not so wovens.
I finished the dress, to a spectacular standard, but its on gertie because of one very important thing, it won’t go on me.
*insert tantrum here*
You guessed it, too tight across the hips and bum. To me it was a classic, learner sewist mistake, and I took some quality time to beat myself up about it. I debated what to do. The “throw it in the corner” approach was getting heavy voting. Cut the bottom half off and make a top out of it? An online friend suggested godets. In the end, I decided on inserting two piped panels down the side.
Of course, solving one problem exacerbated another. The underarm already poked out unattractively, and adding another inch of fabric to it made it worse. Its not an elegant solution, but I decided to just stitch a dart into the side seam, pulling in the underarm. Its not perfect, but since I won’t be wearing this dress without a bolero, it won’t matter all that much.
The finished outfit:
Its more a spring/summer outfit than winter. Still, I stuck with it, when I could have thrown it away and wasted some really quite beautiful fabric. Its a win …. not a perfect win, but a win none-the-less.
