SewLibra:
I cut a size X for the bust and waist, and graded down to size U on the bodice pieces at the hip and on the skirt. I used my hip size of 39 but wish I had gone up a bit because it's snug around the belly. Every lump and bump shows unfortunately.
SewLibra:
I lowered the front neckline to between sizes R and S. The original neckline is quite high and looked uncomfortable to me.
SewLibra:
I raised the back neckline 1". The original back neckline was extremely low, and I knew I was going to make neck binding instead of the elastic they called for. I figured one inch higher would feel better and make the binding application easier.
SewLibra:
Using my dress form to determine where to shorten the bodice pieces. Since I usually need a swayback adjustment, I chose the lower back area.
SewLibra:
Front, back, side front and side back were all shortened 1". I use removable Sewers Fix It Tape from Nancy's Notions. If you make a mistake or want more changes later, it comes off without tearing your paper, including thin pattern paper.
SewLibra:
When you fold pattern pieces there is an uneven edge that should be trued. Instead, while cutting the fabric with a rotary cutter I carefully cut a smooth line. If all is well I can go back and true the pattern.
SewLibra:
This pattern only gives you two skirt pieces and you need four. They want you to tape a bodice piece to a skirt piece, cut it out, take it off and tape another bodice piece to the same skirt piece. Too complicated. I traced my own!
SewLibra:
Here is an example of taping one of the bodice pieces to one of the skirt pieces. By tracing off the two extra skirt pieces I was able to leave everything intact and fold them to fit back in the envelope.
SewLibra:
What a fabric hog this pattern is! Here I'm down to the end of it with only the sleeves left to do. I managed to squeeze all the pieces in 2 1/2' yards of 60% cotton and 40% poly knit with 60/40% stretch.
SewLibra:
Using my sticky dot tip to mark not only the wrong side of the fabric, but also front, side front, back, side back, and wrong side of sleeves.
SewLibra:
The pattern has 1/4" SA but on stretchy knits I can get by with a 3/8 SA, then serge them. Here I'm pressing the princess seams toward the center.
SewLibra:
There is a lot of weight to this dress due to the fullness of the skirt. I reinforced the shoulder seams with Design Plus straight fusible stay tape. I also have the Design Plus bias fusible tape for curves. They both come in handy!
SewLibra:
Haha! This is how I hurry up the drying of my neck bindings after I steam press them. Do you suppose I lack patience?!
SewLibra:
I like the Sarah Veblen method of sewing neck bindings in the round. I have also used the method where you sew it on flat and close at the shoulder seam, but these are a snap once you know how much to stretch while sewing them. Inside of neck band here.
SewLibra:
Outside of neck binding after pressing. I cut my binding wider than Sarah's method at 1 3/4", then press in half lengthwise and sew with a 3/8" SA.
SewLibra:
Another thing I do differently is topstitch right below the band to keep the seam allowance down. It also makes it look like my RTW tees. This look is SO much nicer than the elastic the pattern calls for.
SewLibra:
Here is the back neckline. I wish I had thought to put the binding seam at the shoulder seam instead of center back, since the low back neckline is a design feature and my hair does not cover it. . This is what happens when you sew on "auto pilot".
SewLibra:
I sewed the sleeves in flat. There is no ease in the cap, as it should be with knits, and they went in easily.
SewLibra:
A pressing ham is a must for curved seams. Here I'm pressing the sleeve seam outward toward the sleeve.
SewLibra:
A sleeve board makes it quick and easy to press up hems on small areas such as sleeves and pant hems. I used a 5/8" hem and coverstitched them with my Janome Coverpro 900CPX.
SewLibra:
Sooo....the dress was too long. I had to cut an inch off the bottom but I made myself a note to fold out and inch of all the skirt pieces. I'll do that on the middle part of the skirt to preserve the original hem for next time.
SewLibra:
To me the most tedious part of this pattern was pressing up that curved hem 3/4". It's really a looooong hem!!!
SewLibra:
I often use the same thread spool and bobbin for my coverstitch machine that I used in my sewing machine for the garment construction. Works great and the colors match!
SewLibra:
Coverstitching that long hem was fast with my Coverpro 900CPX. No special settings nor stabilizer needed. I use painters tape (Frog Tape) for a guide and it doesn't leave any sticky residue on my machine.
SewLibra:
Here is the finished hem and it's a beauty if I do say so myself. (Wink wink.) If this were a dressy dress I would have used my sewing machine's blind hem stitch, but that would take forever!
SewLibra:
The fabric drapes well. The style and the knit show every unwanted lump and bump though. This cotton/poly knit is medium weight at least. It would have been worse with a thinner knit!
