I had mentioned before how I've had trouble fitting dresses through my back and shoulders. I was on a major sewing kick right before I went back to work about a month ago. I made three dresses in a week thinking I would have lots of back to work clothes. All of them were fails. I've never been so sad. All sorts of fabric and time gone to waste. Isn't that the most frustrating thing about sewing a failure? I felt I had lost my mojo. None of them fit right. The main issue I have with fitting is through my shoulders and high back. I always end up with too much fabric at the back of the neck and it bunches up or sticks up really high on the back of my neck. The particular dress I'm writing about now is Simplicity 2798 which is now out of print. I tried to take a picture in my bathroom (below). It's a little blurry but you can kind of see what I'm talking about. Valerie, I know you gave me some good advice on finding an adjustment, but I've yet to do it. I'll have to have someone help me since it's my back. I was particularly sad about this dress because I had high hopes that this would be a pattern I could make over and over again. A cute cotton shift dress with a curved yoke and fun pockets? Hmm.
Anyway, I decided that I did not want to let the fabric or my fabulous lace trimmed pockets go to waste. So I turn my failed dress in to a skirt! I do love the pockets. It's ok, I think. It's wearable. It's really wrinkled in my photos because I actually had worn it that day. I used a curved facing from an a-line skirt pattern I love and made a waistband. I put little pleats within the pockets where there was extra fabric. So it's a save..... sort of?
Funny thing about this blog, I notice things in my photos as I write. Is it possible that the whole dress is too big? And it's the wrong kind of fabric, too. I'm slowly weaning myself off of quilting cotton- just that it's always so cheap!And a note about my Self Stitched September blues: I'm a little bummed out because I didn't sign up. I wimped out. Mainly because I don't have a lot of clothes I've made that I can wear to work, namely pants. I feel like I should have challenged myself to do it anyway. Well, I'll get busy making some practical pants this fall and winter. Then I'll have no excuse for March or May. I just googled SSS and it's amazing what popped up. I'm excited to see what everyone who is participating posts!
You can still do it, you don't have to be head-to-toe Self-Stitched.
ReplyDeleteI have (had) issues with backs being too big for my frame. Once I went down a size in the back, that cleared up. I'm not sure if you have the same fit issue, but it might help...
By the way, I'm contemplating re-trying that damn Lotus cami, (except I'm mad enough to want the tunic) your post planted the idea in my head and it won't go away. Of course I'll post how it goes.
First, the skirt is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteWhy don't you try a muslin of the top part and play with it? Trying adjustments etc... There are great books that explain that. Mine is the "Complete guide to sewing -Reader Digest" and it have pages and pages showing where to tuck, cut, dart and so on.
Love your skirt and your top from your previous post. They both look lovely!
ReplyDeleteThe skirt is adorable and I especially like the pleats within the pockets. If you love the pattern I'm sure it's worth playing with to get it to fit. Head down to the thrift store and get some really ugly bedsheets to make muslins?
ReplyDeleteI'm not very good at fitting, either. I'm actually terrified to try any other pants patterns, now that I have my jalies fitting how I like.