Tammy Handmade Leona dress

 This has been a vision for maybe just a year or two (new in sewing list terms...)

I bought the stretch velvet from The Fabric Box when I first thought of doing this, it's really an easy project and I expected to just make it without delay, but of course, delays happened.  

I've never used Tammy Handmade patterns before. 

Griping: the pages are not well labelled so it took visually laying everything out to get it to tetris together.  I printed the A4s. 

The pattern does not have any information for the height it's drafted for, but clearly at least 5'6" as the front pattern piece touches the floor when I hold it up. 

I went from size 8 chest to 10 at the hips, melding halfway between for the waist. 

Removed 1" above the hips, 1cm above the waist, and 1" below the hips at the version B level. I raised the side slit 1" accordingly. 

I also lengthened the facing with the plan to make a shelf bra.  What else to do with a facing on a knit dress?  On one hand I appreciated the reasoning behind the facing for a very neat, clean finish.  But I do so dislike them...  I was going to cut the back facing on the fold but realised there is a curve so I went ahead and made it per the pattern, but lengthened it about 2".  Once I did all this and tried the dress on I realised a surprising thing - the dress is so tight that the facing can't flip.  And I can wear a bra underneath it!  No benefit from trying to add shelf bra elastic.  I did decide to overlock the facing shorter again, removing about 1.5" and in retrospect wish I had not done that, as the double grippy effect was both warm and held things in place extra well.  It's still fine and a bit longer than the pattern piece, but not by much. 

 

Next set of bodycon dress dramas: I did NOT need to size up at the hips.  I had a pair of wide hips dangling away from my body, and a huge amount of fabric pooling weirdly at the centre back.  I saw the weird poof mid back when I was sewing the seam up, and wondered if it's the drafting or if my fabric shifted funny while cutting.  Anyway, all these seams are a fitter's friend!  I just pinned out the weirdness midback until I was happy and overlocked it away.  Then I went at the side hips and just shaved them flatter until they were snug.  Choosing a size 8 would probably have been fine, but this way I did get to actually choose how I shaved fabric off to fit, which might have gotten me a more precise result, who knows. 

It fits well under...some bras.  Not this one, oops.  This is a super warm and stretchy dress, it will be fantastic for events in winter but in summer I couldn't get it off fast enough, it's hot! I'm really pleased overall with my dress.  There is still a tiny irregularity at the centre back seam, but it's not bad.  It's a fun, fast sew.  I don't think I would use it for a fancy, dream fabric but for a fun easy wearing dress I am happy.