This pattern got on my list while I was in Arizona and I was planning to make it in some rayon that I got from Anna Ka Bazaar. However, when I left the States it hadn't happened yet and the fabric didn't make it. I bought this yellow polyester in Germany with mixed feelings - it was cheap, and pretty, and spotted...but...polyester. Ugh. This is the first time I have ever sewn with polyester! I lined it with cotton to balance out the yuck factor, but I am not sure whether that tilted the scales against me from the beginning.
I recalled that the size 4 Anouk had been just a touch small in the shoulders, and opted for the tank version of this dress. With that same thought, when I chose the size to cut out, I went by the first set of measurements which pushed me toward a 6, instead of the finished measurements. This was a huge error, and I'm kind of ashamed of it. I recently discovered GOMI and feel like I'm one of those bloggers the older, serious sewists are complaining about (even though I have only 14 followers, and half of you are my best friends, and I love you all) because I am composing cheap fashion, and I am sure that I don't iron anything enough.
So, more about Chloe. Construction is not challenging, including the fake welt pockets. The instructions have you put the pieces together with the zip first, but I wanted to try the Cambie method so I put the zip in last. With the Cambie method you really have to get the zipper against the seam allowance and then trim the extra seam allowance away, but I was pretty satisfied with how it came out. I got lazy and just folded and sewed the armholes instead of using a facing, because at that point I knew the dress didn't fit and it was a challenge to finish it.
These pictures remind me that I need to start doing a swayback alteration. I think I'm finally ready to take that step! For some reason, although I have known for a long time that I need to do it, the swayback alteration has felt too difficult to actually attempt.
Also, it's been awhile, somehow, since I've put in a non-invisible zipper. It ends up that although I don't have trouble with the zip, I can't ever (and have never) escape the bubble at the bottom of the zip. How to fix?
As you can see, the dress does not fit at all. And I will admit that I am not going to try to size it down to fit (unfortunately I don't have any friends bigger than me that I can pass it on to!) This has turned out disappointing as I was so very excited about Chloe, and in the end let down enough that it will be a long time until I try one again, but Chloe does have some features that make it interesting to try again - it has pockets! And the panels provide some interesting opportunity to mix and match contrasting fabrics (I think many have done this.) It's fully lined, which is now almost one of my criteria before making anything. I am starting to push my summery projects (shock!) towards the spring, and I am slowly losing the need to sew every single pattern that my eye falls on. Hopefully this means something crazy like a maturation of my sewing, but it's too early to tell.
I recalled that the size 4 Anouk had been just a touch small in the shoulders, and opted for the tank version of this dress. With that same thought, when I chose the size to cut out, I went by the first set of measurements which pushed me toward a 6, instead of the finished measurements. This was a huge error, and I'm kind of ashamed of it. I recently discovered GOMI and feel like I'm one of those bloggers the older, serious sewists are complaining about (even though I have only 14 followers, and half of you are my best friends, and I love you all) because I am composing cheap fashion, and I am sure that I don't iron anything enough.
So, more about Chloe. Construction is not challenging, including the fake welt pockets. The instructions have you put the pieces together with the zip first, but I wanted to try the Cambie method so I put the zip in last. With the Cambie method you really have to get the zipper against the seam allowance and then trim the extra seam allowance away, but I was pretty satisfied with how it came out. I got lazy and just folded and sewed the armholes instead of using a facing, because at that point I knew the dress didn't fit and it was a challenge to finish it.
These pictures remind me that I need to start doing a swayback alteration. I think I'm finally ready to take that step! For some reason, although I have known for a long time that I need to do it, the swayback alteration has felt too difficult to actually attempt.
Also, it's been awhile, somehow, since I've put in a non-invisible zipper. It ends up that although I don't have trouble with the zip, I can't ever (and have never) escape the bubble at the bottom of the zip. How to fix?
As you can see, the dress does not fit at all. And I will admit that I am not going to try to size it down to fit (unfortunately I don't have any friends bigger than me that I can pass it on to!) This has turned out disappointing as I was so very excited about Chloe, and in the end let down enough that it will be a long time until I try one again, but Chloe does have some features that make it interesting to try again - it has pockets! And the panels provide some interesting opportunity to mix and match contrasting fabrics (I think many have done this.) It's fully lined, which is now almost one of my criteria before making anything. I am starting to push my summery projects (shock!) towards the spring, and I am slowly losing the need to sew every single pattern that my eye falls on. Hopefully this means something crazy like a maturation of my sewing, but it's too early to tell.
It's still a pretty dress -- maybe a friend will fit into it?
ReplyDeleteHi, thanks for stopping by : ) Unfortunately I think this went straight to the op-shop, and even worse, since I had cut the pattern tissue I didn't have the size 4 to try again. I really like the design lines of this dress but I'm definitely a size 4 in Victory Patterns...
Delete