I'm really bad at ordering fabric. I see something pretty and order it on a whim. Then I get it and go 'huh, what am I going to do with this?'. I never order enough. I also don't sew with pattern fabric much because it's a whole other level of complication. So of course when I saw some really pretty border print cotton, I ordered just three yards of it. It arrived, I pre-washed it and thought it would make a pretty wrap around dress from Gertie's Jiffy dress book.
I logically know that you can't put a straight border print on the bottom of a curved hem but the connection didn't kick in until I was trying to lay things out. Ugh. The fabric went back in the pile and I made my Swirl dress out of a navy blue bed sheet. Because that's what you do when you have the wrong fabric on hand.
Fitting the Swirl dress will be it's own rant, it was quite an experience but I learned a lot.
The fabric kept annoying me because it's so pretty but with only 3 yards I couldn't use most patterns with it. I'd lay things out and realize nothing worked. I saw a passing comment about how B-6453 took very little fabric and I Googled it. Oh, hey, that will work perfectly with the material I have! I bought the digital version and got to work.
The adjustable spaghetti straps saved me from having to do a bunch of adjustments for my short torso but I did have to take the neckline in a lot. I have the 16 - 22 size pattern and ended up having a size 16 neckline that I took in another inch so the straps landed on the right part of my shoulder and the neckline didn't gap. Then a full bust adjustment to make the front of it fit correctly. Pleasant surprise, that adjustment is pretty straightforward with princess seams, I may have a new favorite kind of bodice construction. Just just cut a hinge and make the curve that goes over your boobs bigger. Lengthen the center bodice piece to match and you're done! Knocked out an inch in the back for a sway back and got my muslin fitting nicely.
I cut out the bodice very carefully to preserve as much fabric for the skirt as possible. I wanted a 3 yard gathered skirt so all of my cut out pieces had to go along the top edge. It's a good thing I'm short or it wouldn't have fit. I had a 25" wide piece of fabric left for my skirt which was right at knee length for me when attached and hemmed. Whew.
I like this pattern for being very straightforward. It's a bodice and a skirt. The adjustable straps were a first for me and I liked the idea but in practice I ended up making them as short as possible and I don't think I'll ever move them. The one piece facing went in with minimal fuss, lapped zipper in the back, the whole thing went together in a day once the pattern was adjusted for me.
The fabric is just perfect for this dress. It's springy and adorable. I have a short sleeve baby blue sweater and matching belt that will make this outfit complete. The belt is important because I had a few . . . technical issues with the gathered skirt.
After reattaching the skirt a third damn time I decided to just leave this. With a belt on no one will see it and I needed to move on with my life. I usually pleat skirts because gathering is so chaotic but wanted to try gathering for that vintage look. I don't think I'll be gathering any skirts on a dress anytime in the near future. Too many things shifting around and I couldn't manage to get that join perfect. Ugh. I will probably tear it apart and fix it in the future just because it will annoy me.
But I love how this came out and now that the bodice pattern is all adjusted for me, I suspect there will be more spring/summer outfits made with this top.
One day it will be spring and I'll be able to wear it outside. Right now I'm wearing fleece lined tights and a cardigan to stay warm while in my office. Equinox is less than two weeks away, I'll have pictures of me wearing my new dress soon enough.
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