Good grief, this dress was a rollercoaster! But a rollercoaster in a good way - it's hard to know where to start to tell the story.
I'll start with the pattern. I had originally intended to make Butterick B5748, but I just couldn't get the fit right on the back. It was lumpy, and saggy and just weird, no matter what I did to it.
I really loved the circle skirt, and hadn't made one before, so decided to use the good old By Hand London Anna bodice and the Butterick pattern's circle skirt. Anna and a circle skirt are a match made in heaven, I've seen so many lovely versions of them.
I stupidly managed to chop my own hand off in this photo! |
The fabric is the last of my red fabric, and also the last piece of cotton I have from The Paragon in Donegall Pass in Belfast. I starting laying the fabric out, and it was at that point that I realised that I didn't like it. I thought it was a bit too twee, even for me. I procrastinated about what to do, but decided to crack on with it and use it as a practise piece for the circle skirt, and also a lapped zip. I was happy enough to use the fabric for this, as it cost less than £15 for the whole dress.
So off I went, merrily sewing away. I decided not to bother finishing the seams as I wasn't going to wear it. The dress came together without a hitch. The lapped zip worked beautifully first time, I used this tutorial from Lauren of Lladybird.
Once the zip was finished, I tried it on to see what it looked like, and it was gorgeous! I couldn't believe it, you could have knocked me down with a feather! The fabric seamed to have transformed itself into loveliness. Then I could have kicked myself for not finishing the seams, so I took the pinking shears to them.
I hadn't bothered putting pockets in the side seams when I thought it was just for practise, so I made some patch pockets using my own how-to.
Hemming was a breeze. I let it hang for a day or two, but the bias didn't drop so I didn't have to trim anything off. Then I used this tutorial from By Hand London - I went with version #1.
So there you have it, the Shocked and Surprised dress. I like it so much I might wear it to a family wedding later this month!
I'd love to know if anybody else has had something like this happen.
Have a great week,
Lynne
I'd love to know if anybody else has had something like this happen.
Have a great week,
Lynne
Love it - just bought the Anna pattern and this dress has given me the push to get my backside up Donegal Pass next week for some fabric! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you! I think the last day that I was in The Paragon was the day I bought this fabric. Good luck with your Anna, and happy shopping!
DeleteIt looks beautiful, I love the Anna bodice with a circle skirt and the pockets are too cute :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Anna and a circle skirt is definately a winner!
DeleteWhat a wonderful story! The dress is really beautiful. Unfortunately, I experience the reverse of this most of the time...
ReplyDeleteThank you! I still can't quite get over it!
DeleteIt's really pretty. I like the pockets too and that you've added the buttons for a focus point on the busy pattern.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I'm pleased with the pockets, and the buttons were just some randoms that matched from the button box.
DeleteAaaah so adorable! I totally agree that Anna and a circle skirt are a match made in heaven, and this really is a heavenly dress!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I want to make more now!
DeleteLOVE LOVE LOVE!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteIts so pretty! I love the fabric, it definitely doesn't look twee as this dress.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I can't believe how the fabric managed to transform itself!
DeleteThis dress is so beautiful, I love the new shape of the neckline and the patch pockets are so sweet!
ReplyDeleteThank you! I really should try the V neckline and see what it's like.
DeleteYou look fabulous in your dress. I totally understand your fear about this print. I like this print very much but stayed away from buying it because I ALS thought it wouldn't look good. But wow :) I love that your pinking matches the edge of the white circles!
ReplyDeleteThank you! There was a moment with the fabric where I thought, "what on earth was I thinking whenI bought this?!". I hadn't noticed that the pinking matched the circles, but it really does! :)
DeleteGorgeous dress Lynne - the bodice from the Anna dress is one of the prettiest and most flattering bodices ever. FACT! You should definitely wear it to the family wedding, it's perfect. X
ReplyDeleteThank you! You are so right about the Anna bodice, it can do no wrong!
DeleteThis looks so lovely on you! What a happy surprise!
ReplyDeleteThank you, it really was a happy surprise!
DeleteI am loving how versatile Anna is. I am on my 3rd already! Yours are inspirational!
ReplyDeleteOh, thank you! I think this one is my fifth. There should be an Anna support group!
DeleteBeautiful!!! I love it !!! So glad that you do too, it would be a tragedy to treat it as a toile :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you. Too right!!
DeleteSo lovely!!! The Anna bodice is so flattering on you and I bet that circle skirt is a lot of fun to wear - so much swishing potential!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The skirt is great fun, it's very hard not to twirl in it!
DeleteIt's lovely on you! I've seen so many different versions of this dress, yours is amazing!
ReplyDeleteThank you! This is a perfect pattern for hacking.
DeleteBeautiful! I love that full skirt with those patch pockets! And that fabric is so lovely.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I love it too!
DeleteI love it when something like this happens. The dress looks fabulous! I rather like your purple painted gate too!
ReplyDeleteThank you! The purple door is my very un-glamour shed door. It needs re-painted, I'm thinking turquoise green, but thinking is as far as I've got!
ReplyDeleteThis is gorgeous! I love the print and yes, the bodice goes so well with the circle skirt. I always get a bit sad when I see lovely versions because none of my versions (5!) looked particularly good on me!
ReplyDeleteThank you! It's a shame that this pattern didn't work out for you.
ReplyDeleteYaaay I'm so glad it came back around for you! It looks great
ReplyDeleteThank you! I did end up wearing it to the wedding, and everybody thought it was lovely.
Delete