After all the time I spent fitting the blasted muslin, I was doubly disappointed when the lace did not dye as well as I would have liked. More analysis on that later. The silk DID dye to a gorgeous, perfect tangerine, though. I just wish it were more visible under the lace.
My husband loved the dress. My son told me I looked like Grandma and my sleeves were too short. My daughter told me she liked it, but I got the feeling she was just being kind. I thought it was comfortable. Like I said, mixed reviews.
Here we are, in all of our tangerine glory (this is the best picture I have of myself -- I wasn't in the mood to pose):
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| Color of Hope 2013 (Tangerine) photo courtesy of Celebrate Arkansas Magazine |
Everyone wore something sewn by Mom:
- Daughter: wore her prom dress from 2012 -- LOVE IT when a gown can be worn more than once!
- Husband: bow tie is the the same silk underlining my dress -- more on that hot mess another day
- Son: pants were hemmed by me, in the minutes before we left for the gala when we realized they were 3 inches too long
- And there I am in my orange monstrosity -- smiling -- because the dress really is comfortable!
My review, Vogue 8766:
Pattern Description: Lined dress has underlined bodice variations and narrow hem...all garments are cut on the crosswise grain of fabric. I sewed view E.
Pattern Sizing: AA(6-8-10-12), D5(12-14-16-18-20). I cut a 12.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the envelope?
Yes, for the most part.
Were the instructions easy to follow?
I thought so. Although it was an "Easy Vogue", the fit gave me fits (no fault of the instructions). I made three muslins before I felt it fit me well enough. I finally swapped the darts for shoulder princess seams to get it to fit me nicely.
What did you particularly like or dislike?
Like: Construction is straightforward and simple, and I thought the instructions for sewing lace with an underlining were easy to understand. I really like the effect of the darted sleeves and may steal this to attach to another pattern in the future -- they were much easier to sew than the eased variety, and the darts add nice structural interest.
Dislike: The bodice darts. I replaced them with princess seams.
Fabric used: Silk charmeuse as an underlining (Dharma Trading, dyed by me). Cheap cotton/nylon lace on top, also dyed (a mistake that I will not make again).
Pattern alternations or any design changes:
- Shortened sleeve length to just under the elbow.
- Added princess seams to manage fitting challenges.
- FBA (this was a first for me, I usually do not need that)
- Swayback
- Expanded the circumference of the size 12 by several inches in the first muslin, took out about half the original expansion in the second muslin, then went back to the original 12 and settled for nothing more than an FBA in the third.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Not sure if I would sew it again for myself. I would love to say "yes", since I spent so many hours fitting it for myself and it is a very comfortable dress, but I am not sure I love it that much. I may consider making the view with a fuller skirt for my daughter. I've seen enough nice versions of this dress to believe that this just may have been a personal problem, so I may recommend it to others.
Conclusion:
This was a bit disappointing. This pattern was so well-reviewed by others, that I expected a quick slam-dunk. Part of the disappointment was my lace fabric, part was the fitting troubles. I normally do not have fitting challenges, so was thrown by excessive time I spent making muslins. I do love the darted sleeve, and I am going to keep the pattern around for that aspect.
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