I’ve been sewing up a storm this past week. After going through my stash of patterns and fabrics I really felt like it was wrong to have spent so much on that pile of supplies and not have anything to show for it.
I am determined to empty at least one of my two boxes full of patterns & fabrics before working on anything else.
So far this week I’ve made:
- a cotton batik skirt
- a pair of unwearable bias pants
- a black pinstripe tunic which I LOVE
- a drapey leopard print dress (today’s post)
- a navy blue knit skirt (blog post to follow)
Anyhow, today’s post is about this dress:
This pattern first came to my attention through another blogger. I loved all the flowing drapey-ness (if that’s not a word it should be) and got it at Joannes’ next 99¢ pattern sale.
I bought the jaguar/leopard print fabric from Fabric.com last fall. I have NO idea why. (It was the same order in which I got three yards of grey sweater knit which I will never, ever wear, so I’m guessing my state of mind was in a very weird place.)
As it turns out, there was exactly enough and it was the right kind of fabric for this pattern, so here it is.
Um, yeah. Me Jane.
This look is WAY more bold than I usually do, but it was an interesting project to sew.
By the way, which boots do you like better? The tall calf hugging ones above or the wider but shorter ones?
Butterick 5749 Pattern Review
Pattern Description: Partially lined dress has bias front pleated bodice, bias midriff, slightly shaped front hemline, invisible side zipper and narrow hem. Designed for soft two-way stretch knits.
Pattern Sizing: According to the measurements I needed an 18. I cut out the 16 and it was perfect.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, although the print hides the pretty, drapey lines, so I think I’d do it in a solid if I did it again.
Were the instructions easy to follow? They were fine. Other reviewers mentioned some errors in the photos in the instructions, but I didn’t notice them. I read through the directions before I started, getting a visual of how things went together. I didn’t refer to them much after that.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the side zipper, don’t think I’ve done one before. I also really like the style of this dress. It’s very flattering.
I like that the dress was lined, but thought it was silly that only the bodice and midriff were lined and not the skirt. I lined the skirt as well. Just purchase the same amount of lining (in a stretch knit) as dress fabric.
Fabric Used: A hatchi sweater knit from Fabric.com. It has a lovely soft cottony feel, but is actually 75% poly, 20% rayon and 5% lycra. Never would have guessed.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: A few reviewers mentioned that the neckline was a bit low so I shortened the length of the cowl neck edge.
To do that adjustment, draw a line along the center front of the bodice front piece, from neck edge to waist edge. Decide how much you want to reduce the neckline. Make a mark half that distance to either side of the drawn line at the neck edge. (I reduced mine by 3 inches, so my marks were 1 1/2 inches to either side.)
Next, cut along this line, leaving just a bit of tissue connected at the waist edge for a hinge. Pivot the two pieces until the marks at the neckline meet. Secure with tape or my personal favorite, repositionable scrapbook adhesive.
The skirts looked rather short to me on the pattern cover, so I added 6 inches to the length.
Finally, I forget where I read this tip, but thought it was brilliant. I tacked a small drapery weight to the inside center of the cowl neck edge. This keeps the wrong side from flipping out and keeps it draping nicely.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? I would recommend this to others. It’s a pretty style, and goes together fairly easily. I don’t need many dresses, but like it enough to maybe make another.
Conclusion: A pretty, flattering dress. Make it in a solid for maximum impact of the drapes and curves.
I love it! There are so many different ways you could wear that. Boy, you do make clothes that fit well. The tall boots look best with it, I think–they make for a sleeker line.
Yeah, I’m finally getting the hang of good fit after all these years. I’ll be sharing a few tips about that in a blog post shortly.
I liked the tall boots best, too. I tried it with magenta ankle boots, but that was just weird. 😛
Do you ever sew clothing, Robin? And what have you been doing with quilting?
No, I just can’t make clothes that fit well. Haven’t been doing any quilting lately, either–was working on book stuff until this credit theft came up. 🙁
Believe you me, I don’t always succeed in getting a good fit. But it’s getting better with practice.
How is the id theft thing going? It shouldn’t cost you any money, but probably is sucking up a lot of your time. Grrr…
I won’t know anything more until I get the credit report in the mail. Sorry for taking up your blog comments with this drivel. :/
Hey, it’s a conversation, it’ll go where it will. 🙂 I just was thinking about you; I know how awful and all-consuming that kind of stuff is.