At the beginning of the summer I made a list of things I'd like to sew and when I reviewed it earlier this week I was really surprised to see how much I have done. Naturally, this dress was on the list and a very happy stashbust. I bought the fabric last year from The Fabric Store during their (I think) annual sale. Hearts are not my usual choice for a print and I can't think of another garment in my closet with a single heart on it. I don't really remember what drew me to the fabric but the hearts are sweet without being too cute.
I had about a yard and a half of fabric and wanted to make a dress. For some reason, making a dress seems like I'm really getting my money's worth out of the fabric. It's a whole garment! I don't have to pair it with anything else. Does that make sense to anyone else? Anyway, the fabric was only 45 inches wide so I had to choose my pattern carefully. I laid a few different ones out on the fabric but anything with a lot of ease used too much fabric. So, I settled on my old standby Simplicity 1873. This is a great basic pattern by Cynthia Rowley with a fitted bodice and pleated skirt.
I did most of my usual adjustments to the bodice except I didn't lengthen it. The waist seam hits a little above my rib cage and it doesn't look really weird but I think it feels a little tighter than it would if it were lower. To save fabric for the skirt, I just used whatever was left after cutting the bodice and cut it straight at the top and bottom. I made a seam at the center back and stitched it on.
I did an invisible zipper in the back and did not think at all about matching the pattern. Oops! Lest I forget, I also added piping to the neck and armhole edges then finished with a bias facing. I just used a store bought piping and I love the pop of pink. It's a nice touch that makes the dress feel extra special. Do you have any tips about stitching really close to the bump of the piping? Do you use a special presser foot?
I've used this pattern once before to make a Cut Out Back Dress and I would definitely use it again. I really like the dress and I think I'll get some good use out of it. In fact, I wore it out last night and got a few compliments! Woohoo for summer sewing and stashbusting! My fabric drawers actually have some extra space in them!
