So if you haven't guessed, I've made up the Sewaholic Yaletown. I bought the pattern not long after it was released. I just took a while to find the fabric to make it up. During my successful trip to The Fabric Store where I got my Pretty Flamingo fabric from my last post, I also got this blue crepe. The fabric is perfect for this dress, it has a great drape, but, it was a nightmare to sew!
OK, so where to start. I decided to cut a 14, mainly based on my body measurements. The dress is meant to be loose-fitting, so this seemed the best size. I think in hindsight I'd have done better to cut a 12. It's ended up quite loose-fitting! I didn't make up a muslin, it didn't seem worth it for a make like this.
The pattern is a really easy make. It's certainly not difficult and Tasia's instructions are so clear.
I hemmed the sleeves with a rolled hem. Just check this out!
Slight cheating. I was going to hand sew the rolled hem, but that looked awful. So I decided to try something I'd done before. Fold over the hem about 1cm, then sew a short narrow zig-zag stitch so that it just catches the edge of the fold. Trim the excess fabric when done and, voila - one perfectly rolled hem. [Yes I know I could have done it on my overlocker, but I didn't have blue thread for it and really just wanted to get it done!]
All the seams are straight stitched on my regular machine and then overlocked to finish them.
This was the finished dress! Just a wee bit big.
Checking with my WSBN guys the suggestion was that as well as too big, the bodice was too long. So I unpicked the waist seam, took out the elastic. I straightened off the side seams of the bodice, which meant I had to loosely gather the skirt onto the bodice before I attached it again, shortening the bodice by an inch. This has helped the "blousing" effect slightly, but I think it's still a wee bit too big.
The waistband is really easy to deal with. It's stitched with a normal seam allowance, then that is pressed down and stitched again to form a casing for elastic - great for those large meals! Or even high tea, which was the first outing for this dress!
I might catch the wrap front down so that it lies flatter. At the moment I think it gapes, but I'm looking down on it, it might not look like that from the front.
However, one great thing - it's a wrap dress that's drafted really well and doesn't gape when I lean forward!
And... it has pockets!
The details...
Fabric: Blue polyester(?) crepe from The Fabric Store, August 2014.
Notions: Thread, elastic and interfacing
Pattern: Sewaholic Yaletown View AFirst worn: High tea at James Cook Hotel with some lovely sewing friends last Sunday
Worn with: Shoes from Overland (quickly becoming my fave shoe store!)
Changes made: I straighten up the bodice and shortened it by about an inch (2.5cm)
Another one/Recommend? I certainly recommend the pattern, it's well drafted and quick/easy to make up. I wasn't thinking I'd make another one, but I've got some fabric which would make a great Yaletown blouse, so perhaps I might and cut a smaller size!
Thanks to Jenna who wielded my big girls camera along Lambton Quay on Sunday by the fab Invisible City sculpture, where in theory anything is possible when a friend is just snapping away...
I'm happy though, this is a great dress and makes me feel really girly as the fabric just drapes so well!
