Have you ever fallen in love with the idea of something, only to have the reality not quite measure up? Have you ever actually visualized yourself in a garment one way, spent the time to create it, then it just doesn’t wow you?
I’ve had a few too many of these lately.
I should have known from the picture on the pattern envelope that I’m not built for wearing this type of garment. I’m too short, and short waisted at that, and stocky for this.
“This” being the Made It Patterns Drop Dress and Top. It was part of my November, then December, plans and I finally got around to making it. I opted for the top version, since I had bought only 2 yards of fabric. It’s an assymetric tunic/dress with a slash neck that looked really cool on the envelope.
It came with an issue of Simply Sewing magazine, a British rag, which makes sense because Made It is also a British indie pattern company. Because it came in the magazine and not as a PDF download, it was an actual paper pattern in four large sheets, two for the top and two for the dress. The top and bottom had to be pasted together, but that was no big deal. There is just one large piece each for the front and back, basically identical except for the neckline. The instructions were nicely illustrated and included directions for lengthening, shortening, and a full bicep adjustment. I didn’t follow the order because I wanted to put my neckband in last so I could use a twin needle on it (all twin needling is done at the end), and obviously left the sleeves off. I didn’t have enough fabric and LA is still hot (and on fire) at this late date in the year. Plus Blogless Anna left the sleeves off too, and it worked out fine.
The fabric is very fine and I didn’t want to add too much structure in the shoulders but still wanted to protect them from stretching, so I used Meg’s tutorial for using the selvage in the shoulders and it worked nicely! I also staystitched the neckline because I’ve worked with this fabric before and know its dastardly MO.
The reason this doesn’t fit is all my fault. I shortened the length by my typical three inches and that brought the hem higher up the legs to right at the widest part of my hips. I’m not even that wide in the hips, more of an inverted triangle. But the hem is very cocoon like, so it hugs the legs. Or, in this case, my hips. I could have gotten away with NOT shortening this and the hem would have been the perfect width for a short dress or long tunic.
But I’m still short and stocky so who knows what it would look like if I did that.
I totally forgot to take a back pic, but it doesn’t matter. I wore the shirt out later this same day, had to kneel down to pick something up, and split the stitches in the hem. It just did not work for me.
Were I to make this again, I’d do one of a few things. Either:
- Lengthen back to the original length
- Shorten the same amount but widen the hem
- Possibly cut back on some of the side drape because I don’t think this is enhancing my figure
- Do a forward shoulder adjustment, as it keeps pulling to the back and a high round back adjustment seems impossible on a single large back piece
