It's Spring!

...well, it is here in the Southern Hemisphere. The weather here has been ridiculously gorgeous all winter, and the first day of Spring was warm and sunny. What better way to welcome Spring than with a pretty dress covered with watermelons???

 

I had purchased New Look 6886 last summer but never got around to sewing it up. I'm still pretty inexperienced when it comes to tailored dresses- I've only tried 2 different patterns, and the first one was such a nightmare to fit my silly body that I really couldn't be bothered doing it all over again with a new pattern. Looking at view A of this dress, with the gathered bodice instead of darts, I thought that it would be much easier to get it to fit me properly. Happily, I was (mostly) right.

 

Pattern used: New Look 6886

Fabrics and notions 

Some  kind of stiffish cotton from the clearance table at Spotlight...I really need to keep track of what is on the tag when I buy it so I know what it is!

6mm elastic

16" zipper

Hook and eye 

 

Pattern alterations or any design changes

I didn't do a large waist adjustment, but I should have. I unpicked the bottom of the bodice seam and tapered the seam allowance down to 1/4" and it fit much better.

The sleeve fit/ back fit was terrible. I had to do a MacGyver on the back of the sleeves and unpicked the top of the zipper and took another 1cm off each side of the centre back.

Did you use any new skills?  

Raglan sleeves.

 

Problems?

Yeah. The bodice fit perfectly and I was all "Yeah baby! Check me out!" Then I put the sleeves on and they kept falling down. Either I didn't stretch the elastic enough when sewing it, or the sleeves are too big for my small back.

My mother in law came over and folded and pinned the excess fabric for me. It looks a bit dodgy but no-one would ever notice. 

Dodginess...I didn't put the zipper up high enough!

 
Cost
Pattern: $4.49

Fabric: $3.20/m; used about 2m

Zipper: $1.80

Other notions: Stash

Wearability factor

Very high! I've worn it twice now and it looks so sweet! Heaps of my students commented on it when I wore it to work. I can't wait to make another one!