The top of the dress is lined with a grey cotton voile.
I followed Marji's sleeveless dress construction method, except that I goofed. Here's my construction method:
1. sew all the darts
2. Decide I should put the invisible zip in while I just have two flat back pieces. Insert it. (cue ominous music here.... dum dum dum!)
3. Sew lining and dress together at the shoulders
4. Sew lining to dress at neckline and armholes
5. Go to pull the backs out through the shoulder seams..... aARRRGGH!
Well. I wasn't quite ready to take out the zipper, so I sat stumped for a moment, then decided I would just see what I could do. I took out the seam below the zipper (thankfully I hadn't finished it with a zig zag or anything), and the I cut off the end of the zipper and took off the zipper pull. That gave me two back pieces again that weren't joined.
Once I'd pulled the backs through the shoulders and pressed everything, I fiddled with the zipper until I had the zipper pull back on. It was a little hairy for a moment, but I forced it back on, and then stitched a new zipper stop & sewed up the bottom. Whew! It was close there but I ended up with a wearable dress!
Closeup picture
Cheesy picture
I need to fix the back so that I don't get so much pooling
This is a really nice pattern, and it goes together very quickly. Including my goofup, it took less than 4 hours from cutting out the pattern paper to wearing the dress. I only made a few modifications- I sewed the side seams a little deeper from my waist up to my underarm, and I took EIGHT inches off the bottom. Yikes I have short legs. :( And I decided to go with easy for the hem by using single fold bias tape.
So there is my entry in the Butterick 5147 sew along!
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8 comments:
That is a really great style on you! Pretty fabric too.
Its very nice on you - great fabric choice.
You did a great job with your dress. I must get back to mine! It's been hanging since June waiting for final fitting and the lining.
Your dress is very pretty, but I am sitting here in complete awe regarding your zipper. Many hours of my life have been spent wrestling with invisible zipper pulls, yet I have never managed to replace one that has leapt off its teeth. Awe, I tell you. Do you give lessons?
I didn't know about this sew along...a bit out of the loop I guess :) I am going to jump on board Gertie's coat sew along, though.
Your dress looks good. I really like the fabric you chose. I am not a very good fitter myself. I don't think the puddling you are talking about is very noticeable. Whenever I try to take the extra fabric out, I tend to take too much out and find I can't sit down, move my arms, etc. lol
I'm glad you posted about your revised "order of operations" because I was about to do the same thing on the next B5147 (sew in the invisible zipper at the stage where there's just two back pieces, not having to fiddle with the lining.) Are we stuck with doing it the way the pattern says then (aside from not sewing any part of the center back seam first?) I guess I can deal with that if so, I was just hoping to have less fabric all around the machine when putting in the next zipper.
WOW! This dress is stunning. That blue looks fantastic on you. Beautiful!!! Did you post it on the sewalong flickr site?
I like your version too! It's beautiful! And I'm with Elizabeth...did you put it on the flickr site?
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