I have a huge pile of cut out projects. Sometimes lately I can cut but I can't commit to the sewing if I think it will require ANY THOUGHT. So in the meantime I cut out the Zephyr and sewed it up in one day. It was perfect! Until the final step...
Size: 36 at the bodice to 38 above the waist. I cut it with the shortest length (size 34) just because I'm short.
Deer and Doe really drafts for my body type so I wasn't too concerned although I usually cut a straight size 38. My Sureau definitely had too much empty space in the boobs, but the fit on my back is usually super. In this stretchy fabric I thought it was better to have it tighter rather than loose.
The fabric is a very stretchy poly blend (! I know it's like hell froze over) from emmaonesock, by Milly. The reason I was willing to give it a chance is because I have tried on dresses by Milly and seen their fabrics in action, and I realised that I liked the feel of it ok. Also I was in love with the colour scheme! Ordering knits online can be great when you have a specific project in mind - emmaonesock is good about telling you the % stretch so you can match it to the specs of your project so I knew it was a good match.
I had no problems with sewing. I did things a little out of order. I did the v-neck right after putting the bodice shoulders together because I knew it would be hard and it took about 2 hours of painstaking cutting and measuring and pinning to get that baby straight. On the waist, I used the lightning-bolt stitch, remembering my tragedy of the Itch to Stitch Davina Dress, although I think that the fix here is sewing the front and back separately, and then doing the side seams as a unit. So it was the armholes that got me. The fabric bands were way too tight and the armscye was too small, especially when I stubbornly blundered ahead and turned them in as indicated by the instructions. I went on and sewed an entire band on before having to admit it was a catastrophe, and I threw the dress in a corner and went to Hawaii. (I know this isn't always a solution but it worked this time.)
After Hawaii I soldiered on with my scary WIP (see here) and finally was ready to tackle the fix: I cut off the binding + attached armhole entirely, reshaped both armholes with more space which I needed anyway as the armscye was too high, and cut new bindings longer (about 3cm). This time I did not turn them to the inside. This fabric doesn't have enough stretch for that, and it's quite heavyweight. I think the technique in the instructions is great if you are using a lighter weight, thin knit because it adds stability at a spot that can easily stretch, but on my fabric it was a no-go.
Done! It's a nice, heavier weight dress for winter and easy to layer. I'm really happy with this dress, especially after seeing it in the full length mirror when we took my pictures. I love how the skirt has a bit of volume.
Size: 36 at the bodice to 38 above the waist. I cut it with the shortest length (size 34) just because I'm short.
Deer and Doe really drafts for my body type so I wasn't too concerned although I usually cut a straight size 38. My Sureau definitely had too much empty space in the boobs, but the fit on my back is usually super. In this stretchy fabric I thought it was better to have it tighter rather than loose.
The fabric is a very stretchy poly blend (! I know it's like hell froze over) from emmaonesock, by Milly. The reason I was willing to give it a chance is because I have tried on dresses by Milly and seen their fabrics in action, and I realised that I liked the feel of it ok. Also I was in love with the colour scheme! Ordering knits online can be great when you have a specific project in mind - emmaonesock is good about telling you the % stretch so you can match it to the specs of your project so I knew it was a good match.
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| Mystery: it pulls up just a tiny at the center front. Why? |
I had no problems with sewing. I did things a little out of order. I did the v-neck right after putting the bodice shoulders together because I knew it would be hard and it took about 2 hours of painstaking cutting and measuring and pinning to get that baby straight. On the waist, I used the lightning-bolt stitch, remembering my tragedy of the Itch to Stitch Davina Dress, although I think that the fix here is sewing the front and back separately, and then doing the side seams as a unit. So it was the armholes that got me. The fabric bands were way too tight and the armscye was too small, especially when I stubbornly blundered ahead and turned them in as indicated by the instructions. I went on and sewed an entire band on before having to admit it was a catastrophe, and I threw the dress in a corner and went to Hawaii. (I know this isn't always a solution but it worked this time.)
After Hawaii I soldiered on with my scary WIP (see here) and finally was ready to tackle the fix: I cut off the binding + attached armhole entirely, reshaped both armholes with more space which I needed anyway as the armscye was too high, and cut new bindings longer (about 3cm). This time I did not turn them to the inside. This fabric doesn't have enough stretch for that, and it's quite heavyweight. I think the technique in the instructions is great if you are using a lighter weight, thin knit because it adds stability at a spot that can easily stretch, but on my fabric it was a no-go.
Done! It's a nice, heavier weight dress for winter and easy to layer. I'm really happy with this dress, especially after seeing it in the full length mirror when we took my pictures. I love how the skirt has a bit of volume.
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