Butterick 5602 - the shapely shift!

As my last two makes were useful wardrobe basics I gave myself permission to indulge myself with another dress – I just love to make dresses! Since finishing my Chanel inspired dress (blogged about here) I have been eager to make another version of the pattern. Here’s what I came up with


Butterick 5602 shift dress


This is the pattern

Butterick 5602 pattern envelope

Last time I made the one with sleeves, this time I made the version pictured on the right (but without the bow at the neck – it’s not that I don’t like bows, I do, but I just didn’t want a bow on this).

The fabric is a wool challis, called ‘Stingray Frieze’ purchased from Vogue Fabrics. I love the print and it has a beautiful (in the words of Vogue Fabrics) “featherweight weave” and “alluring drape” - it certainly is lovely and light to wear. I used a plain black wool challis for the neck and hem bands and I lined it with my favourite bemberg rayon lining.

There’s not a lot else to say about this pattern – it’s a simple shift dress, nicely shaped and fairly fast and easy to make. So, moving on, I’m going to reveal what I’m working on right now, which is this skirt from the October issue of Burda Style.


Burda Style October 2011 #119

Despite liking lots of patterns in Burda Style magazine I haven’t actually made one for a while. I think that what has been putting me off is that since they have been printing twice as many patterns on each of their pattern sheets it is a REAL PAIN to trace them. (Hello, people who run Burda Style – did you hear that?) But I bit the bullet and got on with it. However, I do have a tip to make it a little easier. Before you lay the tracing paper on the pattern sheets, take a brightly coloured highlighter pen and go over the lines for each of the pattern pieces in the size that you want to trace.
 

The pattern pieces I want are highlighted in yellow

If you do this, it is much easier to identify through the tracing paper the lines that you should be following. It’s still a pain, but not quite so bad! Now the worst bit is over, the skirt is coming along nicely. So, more about that soon …

My Chanel inspired dress - Butterick 5602!

Last week I was in a frenzy of indecision - so many fabric and pattern possibilities were whirring around my brain that I just didn’t know what to make next. At times like this I think that you can’t go too far wrong if you turn to the classics. And you can’t get much more classic than a Coco Chanel inspired little black dress trimmed with white.
 

The LBD inspired by Coco Chanel

"I said that black has it all. White too. Their beauty is absolute. It is the perfect harmony.” Coco Chanel.

The pattern I used was Butterick 5602

Butterick 5602

I made the version drawn in pink but without the bow. I was aiming for a comfortable shift dress, as Coco also said: “Luxury must be comfortable, otherwise it is not luxury”.

However, I didn’t want it to be totally shapeless. This dress has both horizontal and vertical darts at the front and vertical darts at the back – so there is plenty of scope for getting a good fit at the bust and some curving in at the waistline.

The fabric I used is 100% wool crepe purchased from Linton Tweeds who are based in Carlisle but also have an online store. If you are going to make a ‘Chanel’ dress there is nowhere better to turn to than Linton.


Linton Tweeds showroom in Carlisle

They have been supplying fabric to Chanel since Coco herself was in residence at her Paris Salon in the Rue Cambon. To this day Linton still count the house of Chanel as one of their most prestigious clients – along with Oscar de la Renta, Balenciaga, Michael Kors, Lanvin and Caroline Herrera. Oh, and little old me, Eugenia! They supply a wonderful range of tweeds and fancy fabrics as well as a top quality wool crepe in a variety of colours.

So, with a sewing machine, a few hours work and some wool crepe anyone can have a made to measure ‘Chanel’ dress!

Simplicity 2497 Cynthia Rowley dress!

My latest make is what I like to call an easy-to-wear dress in an all-year round print fabric (which, by the way, is a silk twill designed by Phillip Lim).

Simplicity 2497 by Cynthia Rowley

In the coming months I am planning on wearing it with boots and a cardi but I also have visions of throwing it on with some shiny gold sandals when summer finally returns.

How this dress came about is interesting. I didn't feel like fitting a new pattern so thought I would rummage through my very large box of patterns that I have made previously to see if something caught my eye to make again. As I went through them I was saying "No, not that one, not that one, never that one ....... oh, hang on a minute, what was that?" I backtracked to take another look at this pattern

I made the dress with the ruffle on it almost two years ago (blogged about here). I do love the dress but I didn't feel the need for another one, especially as it is rather low cut (even after I raised the neckline!). There is a limit to the number of places I go to that require a ruffley low cut dress. However, until last week, I had completely overlooked the fact that there is another view for this dress (shown in the bottom row of the line drawings on the pattern envelope). Instead of the ruffle it has a faced neckband, which means the neckline is at a higher, more respectable level. I decided that this version, but without the puffy sleeves, would be exactly right for my nice designer print.

When it was almost done I got the feeling that the dress needed just a little something extra to give it a bit of punch and a more 'finished' look.


"It needs a little something!"

I was thinking of doing some topstitching in heavy black thread around the neckband when I remembered that I had some sew-on jewels in my stash. I purchased these a long time ago for nothing in particular but I felt that one day they would be 'the perfect thing' for something.

Just the thing - a little bling around the neckline!

So, my tip of the week is this. Don't forget to take a close look at your pattern stash - sometimes you might be surprised to see that a pattern you had dismissed has got another view sitting, unassumingly, in the corner just waiting for you to notice it and turn it into a dress you really like!

Vintage Simplicity 4175 finished!

In my last post I mentioned that I have been working on a dress made from a vintage Simplicity pattern so, without further ado, here it is, finished!


Vintage Simplicity 4175

I used a Liberty of London silk fabric. The busy flower print makes it a little difficult to see all the details in a photograph so here’s how Simplicity describes it:

This “Simple to Make” dress is styled with soft pleats at the shoulder and at waistline of skirt front. A forward shoulder seam is featured and both views are sleeveless.

The pattern envelope is a bit worn and torn but the pattern pieces were in perfect condition.


No, my bust isn't 32" - this needed some grading up!

 
When I first started on this project I thought that I would make the view on the left with the tie at the neckline. However, as the work progressed, it became clear to me that a bow on top of everything else going on with this dress was going to be just a bit more than my short frame could carry. But, of course, I did put the buttons down the front.


Yes, that's 12 buttons!


These are also vintage (I blogged about their purchase here) and they are purely decorative. The pattern instructions tell you to use a lapped zipper or snap fasteners for the side opening but I used an invisible zipper. As is often the case with vintage patterns the armholes are supposed to be faced. However, as I was suspicious that the facings would flip out and annoy me, I decided to bind the armholes with bias strips from the dress fabric. Another change I made was to add a lining to the skirt.


Inside the dress - the skirt is lined

The unlined silk worked beautifully for the bodice because it needs a soft fabric for the pleats to drape nicely but I wanted the skirt part to be a little more robust. I think it worked well. Also, as you may have noticed, I chopped a good few inches off the length.

One design feature of the pattern that I did stick to is the self-made matching belt. This was my first attempt at belt making and I must credit Casey from Elegant Musings for her very excellent tutorial which helped me enormously.


Fabric belt made with purchased buckle

So, although I think my 1952 dress is in keeping with the intended style I have to confess that it is not perfectly authentic because I have given it a few modern updates in the construction – I hope you don’t find that too shocking? I enjoyed working with this pattern and love many of the styles from past eras. I do plan to make some more vintage patterns but I could never see myself going exclusively vintage - I am way too tempted by the latest fashions and relative ease of use of the modern, multi-sized patterns. How about you? Is vintage your thing or is it the 21st century all the way for you?

Still hanging on to summer ....

The weather has turned blustery, the days are getting shorter. The blogosphere is buzzing with plans for fall sewing. And what am I doing? I am looking at my large pile of summer fabrics.


Did I really buy all this fabric?


Where is that sassy sundress I was going to make? What happened to the cute shorts? Why haven't I made those luxurious loose linen pants I decided on? How come I never made ..... oh, never mind. So many patterns, so much fabric, too little time!

As I am not quite ready to plunge straight into winter wools I am working on what I am calling a transitional piece. Here's a sneak peak


Eugenia goes vintage!

I am feeling pretty excited about this one. The pattern is dated 1952, the buttons are also vintage and the fabric is a Liberty of London pure silk (purchased in the sale but still at great expense!)

Although it could very obviously be worn as a 'summer frock' (and I am still hoping for an Indian summer), I think that the subdued colours will allow me to wear it as a fall outfit paired with my black boots and a little cardi.

What about you? Did you actually get to make all the wonderful garments you planned for the summer? Are you sitting there feeling, dare I say it, rather smug as you move on to the new season. Or, like me, are you sadly staring at a huge pile of unsewn fabrics and wistfully thinking of all the clothes you should now have hanging in your wardrobe? I’d love to know …..

Vogue 8555 made from Oscar de la Renta fabric!

I wanted to make a new dress to go to the Proms - something pretty and flowery, but a little bit sophisticated, would be just right for a classical concert on a summer evening. Some beautiful silk fabric, designed by Oscar de la Renta, jumped from my stash saying "make me into Vogue 8555".  So I did.

Vogue + Oscar!



I like the low back neckline!


This is my second version of this pattern, I love the pleated and gathered bodice.


Vogue 8555

I have worn the first one (blogged about here) many times, so I was keen to make another. It also meant that I wouldn't be taking too many risks with my expensive piece of designer fabric!

Last time I followed the pattern instructions exactly but I wasn't entirely happy with the zipper/lining construction, I thought it looked a little messy inside the dress. The pattern tells you to sew the zipper to both the fabric and the lining at the same time so that the zipper is outside of the lining. This time I did it differently. When I attached the lining to the dress I left a few inches of the lining for the bodice, the midriff and the skirt at the centre back unattached. I inserted the invisible zipper to the outer fabric only, then hand stitched the lining so that it enclosed the zipper. It is a bit fiddly but I think that it looks much neater if you do it this way.


Inside the dress

Anyway, here is the dress in action at the Royal Albert Hall, in Kensington, where the Proms concerts are held


Arriving at the Royal Albert Hall



In front of Kensington Gardens and the Albert Memorial


I'm hoping that Oscar would approve of what I've done with his fabric!

I used the fabric of shame!

Those of you that live in the USA are currently gearing yourself up for the ninth season of Project Runway, which starts this week. So you might be a little surprised to hear that here in the UK transmission stopped at season 6 and there are no plans to show seasons 7 or 8. However, to my delight, I recently managed to get my hands on a dvd of season 8.

Whilst watching episode one, I was thrilled to see that one of the designers picked out this fabric

I purchased some of this very same silk fabric at Mood, back in August of 2009 (blogged about here), and I used it to make a dress shortly after. How excited I was! Could it be that this fabric was going to be used to make the winning creation? Would Heidi, Nina and Michael love it?

No, of course not. The designer was McKell Maddox and her dress was the losing dress. McKell was out.

I am trying not to feel too mortified because she only used this fabric for a part of the dress (the waistband and sash). Also I think that it was the design of the dress (Michael hated the "side cleavage") and the styling ("a train wreck"), not this particular choice of fabric, that the judges took issue with.

When I used the fabric I didn't mix it with other fabrics. Here's the dress I made (I originally blogged about it here.)

McCalls 5927 - made in November 2009

I actually love this dress - it is now over a year and a half old and I still wear it quite often. I stand by the fabric, it handles beautifully and I really love the colours and print. I have some left and I do plan on using it - with careful thought!

With McKell's dress I think it's a case of good fabric being made bad, although under that kind of pressure I think she can be forgiven! In fact, I think that one of the most difficult things about making your own clothes is working out what fabric is going to work with what style, especially when used in combination with other fabrics. I have certainly made quite a few bad choices and I believe that even the most experienced of sewists have sometimes been surprised to find that their style judgements haven't quite worked out as they expected.

Have you ever taken a fabulous fabric and turned it into something disastrous? Do tell .......

Yes, it's that dress again and yay or nay for hand stitching?

No apologies, but I have made yet another version of Simplicity 3503. I'm calling this latest version (number five) my 'English Summer Garden Dress' - just right for afternoon tea, the village fete and, of course, garden parties, where I can blend into the rose bushes!

When the fabric, which is a rayon lycra mix, arrived from Gorgeous Fabrics I loved it so much that I didn't want to take any risks with it. At the best of times knit fabrics can behave in quite wilful and unpredictable ways, so having a pattern you've made before really does increase your chances of finishing up with a dress that you love.

The pattern gives you a lot of different options.


Simplicity 3503

The one I made is in the bottom right hand corner (but I didn't use a contrasting fabric for the midriff or neck band).

I do love the sleeves


If I flap my arms hard enough will I take off?

They give coverage but because they are loose they are not too hot on warm days.

Whenever I make this pattern I follow the instructions as written except for one thing. Instead of machine stitching the neck band facing to the neck band at the inner edge I like to hand stitch it. Usually I am all for patterns that give you instructions for machine stitching rather than hand stitching but, in this particular case, I have found that it is easier to control the knit fabric, and keep it looking neat on the inside, if the facing is stitched down by hand. I also like the look of the clean neck band without machine stitching on the outside. But that's just me - if you hate to hand stitch, then following the pattern instructions is the way to go.


Neck band facing inside dress

I don't like to do lots of hand stitching but I do enjoy it sometimes - I find it rather relaxing to be stitching away and listening to the radio and I like the exactness of it. How about you? Do you love it? Do you only do it if you absolutely have to? Or have you worked out all sorts of ingenious ways so that you can stitch absolutely everything by machine?

Is hand stitching haute couture or hateful? I'd love to know what you think .....

Vogue 8664 - hot dress alert!

You may not have noticed this pattern - the pattern envelope is quite understated, a couple of drawings, no photograph of the actual dress - so I nearly passed it by. Except for the fact that it is one of those Custom Fit patterns that gives you separate pieces for A, B, C, D cup sizes and I'm a real fan of those. So I bought it and, feeling the need for a classic sheath, made it up:
 

Every woman needs a little red dress!

I really like how this pattern turned out - I think it has a kind of Mad Men meets Roland Mouret look!

In my opinion it has a wonderful cut. The fit is well-judged, just the right amount of ease, and I really like the midriff piece: it adds waist definition without being uncomfortable. The neckline is interesting but not too low. I also think that the skirt is pegged perfectly - not too tight for comfort but it tapers in just enough to give it some va va voom. On that note I should probably mention that my DH LOVES this dress. If you’re looking for a sleek sheath, you might want to snap this pattern up.


Vogue 8664

What's more it is classified by Vogue as Very Easy to make. Which it is. The trickiest part of the construction is the attachment of the sleeves. Here’s a tip - when marking up the pattern it is important that you differentiate between the large and the small dots at the lower corners. 

Cap sleeve pattern piece

At first glance the sleeve pattern piece might look symmetrical but it isn't and the folks at Vogue have been smart in putting a large dot at the back and a small dot at the front to be matched with the bodice pieces. Take notice of these to ensure that you don't accidentally try to sew the sleeves in back to front. (I bet you're thinking that's exactly what I did. Well, as it happens, I didn't, but I have been caught out by this kind of thing before so have, hopefully, learnt my lesson!). Personally I make tailor's tacks using a different coloured thread for each of the dots because they show on both the right and wrong side and are easily removed but using different coloured chalk would also work. When it comes to sewing the sleeves, ensure that you match the dots exactly and then the sleeves will go in perfectly.


Sleeves good, arms not so much!

A note on the fabric I used – it’s 100% wool, called Gabrielle Gabardine, purchased from Vogue Fabrics, and I lined it with bemberg rayon.

So, I love this pattern. Will I make it again? I think I might!

Oh, for heaven's sake, not that dress again!

When I returned from my vacation in Miami, in March, I showed you some of the things that I had sewn especially for my trip. However, I have to confess I didn't quite show you everything I had made. It's not that I was holding out on you so much as that I thought to myself, "how many pictures of me standing under a palm tree in Miami do my readers want to see?" Especially as what I didn't show you were dresses made from patterns that I had used previously. But now that's exactly what I want to talk about. TNT (Tried and Tested) patterns.

So, here I am, in Miami, wearing my third version of Vogue 1179


Vogue 1179

I whipped this up in a poly-lycra, called 'Falling Leaves', from Gorgeous Fabrics. My first two versions of this pattern were for the fall/winter season (blogged about here and here).

but I do think that when made up in a brightly coloured fabric, this pattern also works as a casual, comfortable summer dress.

And there's more! Here I am wearing my fourth version of Simplicity 3503, a pattern that I think is pure gold.


Simplicity 3503

Here are my other three versions (originally blogged about here, here and here).

I love how you can get some very different looks from one pattern and, no apologies, I am already planning yet another rendition!

When you are sewing up a storm, with a deadline ahead, I think that there is nothing more valuable that a TNT. But do you think that sewing the same thing again and again is a little boring? Personally I feel happy that I have reached a stage in my sewing experience where I actually have some trusted patterns to fall back on. I know they fit, I know how to make them. However, I do also love to try new patterns, new styles and face new challenges. And, of course, I am always hoping to find another TNT to add to my collection.

How about you? Do you only want to sew something new and different or do you have one or two, or more, TNT patterns that you love and often turn to? I'd really like to know ....

Does this dress look odd?

I loved the look of this 'easy' knit dress pattern, McCalls 6319, and was very keen to make it. There's a lot that I like about the finished look

particularly the asymmetric neckline and the draped pleats of the skirt. However, although it may just be me, I do think that there is something odd about this pattern.

McCalls 6319

I confess that I did notice it when I was cutting it out but, in my enthusiasm, I didn't really think hard about what it would mean in reality. Let me see if I can explain.

The skirt and bodice are sewn together then the seam allowances are used to make an elasticised casing. Nothing unusual about that except that the dress is designed so that this 'elasticised waist' finishes up an inch above your real waist. This is what the skirt front pattern piece looks like, I have outlined the marking for the waistline in red, so you can see how it falls below the seam line that joins it to the bodice.

Now you might think that this wouldn't actually matter because the draping of the bodice would allow the elastic to settle into your waistline but that doesn't happen because the bodice is lined and the lining pattern piece is quite a bit shorter than the outer fabric. This means that although the outer fabric drapes, the lining inside doesn't and it keeps the elasticised casing above your real waist. As per the pattern recommendation I used tricot for the lining and, although it is stretchy, it doesn't stretch enough to allow me to pull the elastic down to the waist, where I think it would feel more comfortable. Does all of this make any sense?

It might be, of course, that this wouldn't bother you (that model on the pattern envelope doesn't look at all bothered!) but if I were to make this pattern again, I think I would make the lining the same length as the outer fabric or I would lengthen both the bodice and the lining or I wouldn't line it or ...... oh, I don't know but I'd do something different! Sometimes things don't work out quite as you expect them to but at least I have learned something in the process and I don't think this is too disastrous?

A tropical dress from Simplicity 3503

Hi everyone – I’m back from my vacation in Miami. It was wonderful, warm and way too short!

But quickly moving on to sewing matters …… now that I am back I can start showing you the garments that I speedily sewed up for my vacation wardrobe before I departed. First up is my palm print dress –

perfect Miami – see how I blend in with the palm trees!

The pattern is Simplicity 3503


This is the second time that I have made this view, pictured on the bottom right, with the dolman sleeves (my first version was blogged about here). It’s pretty fast to make and easy to fit. I followed the pattern instructions with one exception – instead of machine stitching the inside edge of the neckband facing to the neckband, I slipstitched it by hand. Of course, it doesn’t really matter much either way but I prefer doing this so that I get a clean finish on the outside of the neckband (and this way avoids the possibility of wonky stitching showing in a place where you really don’t need wonky stitching!)

As I mentioned in my last post, the fabric is a polyester-lycra purchased from Gorgeous Fabrics. The reason that some commenters on this post were wary about polyester fabric is that it has low breathability. Personally, I found this particular fabric (it is a very nice quality) quite comfortable but I agree that in humid climates polyester can be problematic. If you are wary about poly in hot weather, this pattern is one to consider because the sleeves give you some coverage but they are loose and flappy, and the skirt isn’t fitted, so air can circulate.

Anyway, enough of my vacation sewing for now but more in my next post ……..

Vogue 1221 - DKNY tucked and draped dress!

When I mentioned (in this post) that I had purchased Vogue 1221 I have no doubt that some of you thought “hmmm I wonder if she’ll ever actually make that?” For which you can be forgiven because I have to confess that I thought the same myself, especially when I opened it up and took a look at the pattern pieces. However, I have surprised myself because I have actually made it and here it is!

This is probably the most complex dress that I have ever made. Here’s a reminder of the pattern envelope

And here is a photograph of one of the pattern pieces –

it’s the front bodice, front skirt and drape, which is all one piece. It comes together with a lot of fiendish tucks and pleats.

If you are, like me, not a very experienced sewist and you are contemplating making this dress, I can offer a few words of advice. I do think that you need to ensure that you get a pretty close fit, especially around the waist. The drape depends on this to ensure that it sits where it’s supposed to. If you (also like me) have to make quite a lot of fitting adjustments then you will probably need to make a muslin – it’s very difficult to judge how this dress is going to fit until quite a lot of the construction has been completed and, by then, it’s a bit late. When I made a muslin I discovered that I had to take the whole dress down one size – the original looked blah and saggy. I should also mention that I raised the neckline by about one inch. I didn’t absolutely have to, it wasn’t quite Burda ‘plunging’ but I feel more comfortable with a bit more coverage. In case you didn’t notice, I also added several inches to the length!

This may seem obvious but I should point out that it is definitely worth taking the time to mark and then sew all the pleats and tucks perfectly because it’s fairly vital that all the tucks come together exactly right and it makes it much easier to work out what attaches to what and where if they do. By the way, I followed the pattern instructions to the letter and, even though I couldn’t quite envisage how it was going to work, what do you know, it all turned out fine!

Choice of fabric is quite important. Personally I think that this dress needs something that is soft enough to drape nicely (I didn’t want the tucks of the skirt to poof out!). A very thick fabric will give you problems because there are times when you have to sew through a LOT of layers (for instance where you have to sew a binding piece to the tucks at the bottom of the upper front then sew that to the tucks at the top of the lower front ). However, you don’t want something that is very flimsy because this dress isn’t lined (normally I’m quite up to lining a dress even if the pattern doesn’t call for it but lining this would be pretty tricky to accomplish!). I made mine from a ponte de roma double knit fabric which I picked up very cheaply in a discount fabric store in London. Before making the dress I didn’t have a lot of confidence in my ability to do a good job (especially as my last two projects have been fraught with problems!) so I was reluctant to risk wasting an expensive fabric but on reflection I think that this was probably a mistake. The fabric certainly works in terms of drape and thickness, and I like the colour a lot, but I think that having spent a fair bit of time and energy to make a ‘designer dress’ it would have made more sense to have made it in a really good quality fabric. So, that’s a lesson learnt!

Anyway, for your amusement here is a picture of the dress on a hanger.

Pretty weird looking, eh? If I had seen this in a store I probably would have passed it by. This is one of those dresses that doesn’t have a lot of hanger appeal but once you get your body inside it, and arrange the drape a bit, it seems to work.

So for my next project ……… something a bit easier I think!

Finished at last - the 'Uptown/Downtown' dress

I mentioned in my last post that I was working on the HotPatterns ‘Uptown Downtown Knit Dress’.


As that was a couple of weeks ago some of you might have been wondering where it is – how long can a 'Beginner' knit dress take? Actually my lack of posting has more to do with extremely exasperating difficulties with our internet connections than anything else but hopefully, after seeking professional assistance, those problems have been resolved. That said, the Uptown Downtown dress also presented me with some frustrations. But, as you have been so patient with me, I can finally offer you not one but two versions of this dress.

This is the first one I made

I used an inexpensive novelty double knit, called ‘Requiem Tiger’ purchased from Vogue Fabrics (how I love those people!). Fabric limitations meant I had to make what is called on the pattern ‘elbow length’ sleeves but they are actually more like what I would call short sleeves. I also didn’t make the hem band – I just cut the skirt to the length I wanted it then turned up a hem. It’s a fun, casual dress, although the sleeves were a touch pouffier than I would have liked. All in all, though, I was pretty happy with this one so decided to plunge straight into another one.

It was the second version that had me climbing the walls! This is it

The fabric is, I think, some kind of cotton/spandex knit. I can’t remember where I purchased it but it’s been in my stash for a while. Anyway, whatever it is, it behaved very differently from the double knit used in my first version.

As soon as I attached the neckband I was unhappy – this time the neckline was so loose that it was actually dropping off my shoulders, quite unlike my first version. I tried to tell myself that I liked it that way but the truth was I didn’t and then my DH stepped in and said that it was no good, it would have to be redone. So, I had to rip out all the serger stitching and cut a new neck band. I cut this one a full two inches shorter which turned out to be about right – despite the time and effort spent I was glad that I reworked it.

My second problem came when attaching the sleeve bands. I had no difficulty with the short sleeves but with the long sleeve version the smaller cuff has to be stretched out an awful lot to attach it to the sleeve fabric. Because of my neckband trouble I decided that I was going to use my sewing machine, not my serger, to attach the cuffs so that I could rip out the stitches more easily if I wasn’t happy. It was just as well that I did because after two failed attempts I had to re-cut the cuffs about ¾” larger in order to get them on properly. Although my fabric was stretchy, it just didn’t stretch enough to make this easy.

Lastly, a word about the hem band. As many other people who have made this pattern have pointed out, if you want the hem band to gather the skirt in, like the picture on the pattern instructions, you will have to cut the hem band smaller than the pattern allows. For my version I had to cut a couple of inches off the width of the band just to get it so that the skirt was straight, you would need to cut quite a lot out of it to get a gathered effect.

So, if you are planning on making this dress I think you do need to be aware that results are going to vary depending on how soft and stretchy your fabric is and it’s not very easy to judge exactly how it’s going to turn out. In general I really like the designs that HotPatterns offers and the video tutorials on their site are wonderful. Despite the challenges this particular pattern posed I am not unhappy with the final results and, now that I have a better feel of how different fabrics would behave with this pattern, I might make it again but definitely not right now. Enough already with Uptown Downtown dresses!