Pesky Peony

I believe I've told everyone who will listen that I've been sitting on this pattern for over a year. I originally wasn't very sold on this dress...I was too smitten with the Clover pattern. Still, after seeing a couple of adorable versions pop up, specifically by Lauren of Lladybird, I purchased the pattern. I knew that a lot of other people who made it had problems with the bodice fit so I went in expecting to make alterations. I made a true muslin of the bodice last year and after deciding I wasn't going to be able to escape a FBA, I made the choice to move the darts outward also. Doing this left the fit in the bust ok but the rest of it baggy. After much internet scouring I found this tutorial by Gertie about shortening and widening the darts to remove excess fabric from underneath the bust. I did this but after making a third muslin of the bodice, the fit still wasn't right and I promptly moved the whole project to my UFO pile.

My pattern when I saved it from the UFO pile. Notice the tear from balling up and throwing.

 I've toyed with picking the pattern up a couple of times since then but obviously I just let it sit. When it was chosen for Sew Colette 2.0 I was pleased for the kick in the butt to finish it and went in feeling I would have a year of sewing/fitting under my belt and a fresh outlook. I made a muslin, and it was a bit of a baggy mess...again. I adjusted it by taking in the side seams, the back center seam and I felt that did a sufficient job of taking care of the fit. Plus, I was already getting stressed out about the whole challenge all over again.

Muslin...looks good except for the HUGE GAPING BACK!

 I bought this fabric 50% off of the clearance rack at Joann's. I actually had been eyeing it for awhile but there was less than 2 yards left on the bolt. I was afraid that there wouldn't be enough but there definitely was. That's actually a huge plus for the dress...less than 2 yards of fabric? Awesome.

 What worked on my muslin did not work on this fabric. Ugh. I fiddled with the darts some more, took in the sides..even more...chopped a couple of inches off of the bodice, took a HUGE chunk out of the center back and called it a day. I am glad I chose to make the cumberbun belt because I think it really adds to this otherwise plain dress.

 I initially planned on this being my wearable muslin but I don't think I'm going to be making this again. I just don't have it in me. If inspiration strikes, I may whip one together but as of now I don't see that happening. I'm disappointed in myself because it was a personal goal to do my best to make the "Parade" at the end of each garment sew along for Sew Colette 2.0. I don't feel this dress is really parade worthy. My family tells me I'm way too hard on myself, and maybe I am. I admit to being my own worst critic.

 I'm not positive what went wrong but I have a few theories. From what I've seen and read from other bloggers, what I originally diagnosed as a too-tight bust (wrinkles and pulling across the bust) may have been from just the dart placement. I think I could have done without the FBA as I feel there was a lot of extra room in that area in the end. I think that the FBA may have solved the initial problem of the bust wrinkles, but with it it set off a whole new set of fit issues. As for the back, it's CRAZY! Was this pattern drafted with a hunchback in mind?! At the end of the day, the only thing saving this dress is the fabric and I'm not sure all those alterations are even worth the outcome. I just feel meh about the pattern as a whole. I have to accept the fact that I do not have the fabulous looks and figure of so many of my favorite bloggers. I think I'm often drawn to a pattern based on the way it looks on someone else and then I end up disappointed when I see the way it looks on me. I'm going to try to make an effort to shop for my body shape when choosing patterns.
 On a side note, sorry for these heavily tweaked photos. I was losing light fast and I'm afraid all the pictures came out pretty washed out looking.

 Now I take a break momentarily from sewing clothes for myself to sewing costumes for my children. I have my oldest daughter's costume in the works and I still have the rest of my little ones to attend to.

The Way It Was Shirt

Can I just apologize for my hair? Ack, I am so sick of it. It needs to be dyed and cut and I'm really leaning towards just chopping it all off. So.sick.of.it.
 
I'm going to admit to being a bit obessed with blouse patterns right now. There are so many awesome ones out there. Alma, Jasmine, Violet, Airelle, Roxanne? Oh so many gorgeous options, so many wonderful indie patterns. So much $$ that I just don't have. Le sigh. It's cool. Someday I'll have them but until then I've got to work with what I got. Which is a pretty awesome New Look pattern that cost me only $3.99, a Colette Pattern that was free and a tutorial on how to draft a peter pan collar. Hoping to get a wardrobe essential unlike one I've already made,  I mashed them all together and here we are...

   I've been holding onto this fabric for almost a year now. I lusted after almost every single pattern and colorway in Anna Marie Horner's Innocent Crush line and when it went on sale on Fabric.com, I snatched up a couple of yards of this voile. So soft, so pretty. LOVE. I took New Look 6808 and used the neckline from the Sorbetto pattern from Colette. This was so easy, guys. Really. I'm shocked. I really took my time with this one.  The seams are all french seams and this shirt should last for a long time.

  Now, obviously the meat and bones of this top is New Look 6808. Do I dare utter the letters T...N...T? My first ever!? It's an easy pattern anyway but when I omit the zip, like I did...again... it's a walk in the park. And it fits and it looks good and I think it might be exactly what I need for a basic top.

For the peter pan collar I used this wonderful tutorial from, who else, Gertie. I actually hadn't ever watched her live before but she was such a fantastic instructor for those little videos. Don't you just love her? Maybe I'll buy her bombshell course. Anyhoo, I digress. Drafting the collar was easy peasy, lemon squeezy. The bow was because, you know..I'm kinda obsessed with stuff like that.

I'm wearing this with a previously unblogged Colette Ginger. I have 3 of these skirts and I really love them in theory but I kind of hate the way they look on me. I dunno. I have a rather thick waist in comparison to the rest of me and I feel like it just emphasized that fact. BUT, they are so comfy. I can't stop wearing this one in particular. Stretch denim? comfy.

In case you're wondering...those are trashbag ghosts. ha.

 I'm super excited that my first real foray into altering and combining patterns was so...easy.
And in case anyone is wondering why the heck I'm calling this The Way It Was Shirt....it's a song that was stuck in my head the whole time I sewed this thing up. It just seemed fitting.


Next up....Peony!