Black and White Polka-Dot Dress

Here's a project that I completed earlier this spring. . .

I made a black and white polka-dot dress using this Laura Ashley pattern:


The dress. . .


The zipper in the left side seam. . .


Hem finish. . .


Materials:
- 100% cotton fabric, which has an embroidered border.
- About a yard of white grossgrain ribbon, 3/8-inch wide
- 1-3/8 yards of black elastic, 1/4-inch wide
- A 12"-14" invisible zipper
- Black all-purpose thread

Notes:
This empire-waisted pattern has raglan sleeves, an elastic neckline, and a zipper in the left side seam.
I made view A (the blue dress in the pattern photo), except I used a single row of narrow grossgrain ribbon for trim, rather than attaching two rows.

Pattern Alterations:
I didn't want the neckline to scoop as low as it did in the pattern photo, so I redrew the neckline.
This is how I did it:
1.) I traced a copy of both pattern pieces onto a separate pieces of paper.
2.) I made a mark 3/4-inch above the center front line on the front bodice pattern piece. This is the new height for the neckline.
3.) I then lined up the two pattern pieces, matching the notches and seam lines.
4.) I made a mark in the center of the top of the sleeve pattern piece.
5.) I drew a line from the center of the sleeve to the mark that I made above the center front of the bodice, making a curved line.

After making this pattern change, I made a test garment of the top of the dress to make sure I liked the alterations. At that point, I decided that I still wanted the neckline slightly higher all the way around, so I simply redrew the neckline to be 3/4-inch higher on the bodice front, sleeve, and bodice back pattern pieces. With the neckline being higher, I also needed to draw the elastic a little tighter when inserting it into the neckline casing.

The only other pattern alteration I made was to lengthen the skirt a little, and I did this by slashing at the shorten/lengthen lines and spreading them by one inch.

I followed the pattern instructions pretty closely, except I hand sewed the ribbon to the dress with a pickstitch, after finding that I didn't like the way it looked with machine stitching. I also used an invisible zipper instead of a regular zipper, so that it would hide well in the side seam. To finish the hem, I used the hong kong seam finishing method. I actually cut the binding strips on the straight grain, because I didn't have enough fabric left to cut them on the bias, and the hem was only slightly curved.

If I were to make this dress again, I would probably add just a little bit more room in the hip area. It's not too tight, but it's a bit snug, so I think it would hang a little more gracefully if I widened the skirt a little.

On the whole, I like the pattern. I'm not sure if I'll be making it again, but it was easy, fairly quick to sew, and makes for a fun project.

Simplicity Vintage Apron

I have finished the apron that I mentioned in my previous post!

Here's a picture of the front. . .


. . . And a picture of the back


A detailed picture of the pocket. . .


. . . And a photo of the snaps on the end of the shoulder straps


A few details:

This is a reproduction of an original vintage apron pattern. It comes in one size, and takes about a yard of fabric to make. View A (the apron I made) calls for a small amount of contrasting fabric for the ties and shoulder straps. I didn't have any contrasting fabric on hand, so I simply cut matching ties and straps from the same fabric as the rest of the apron (I had started out with extra yardage). I used a green cotton with stripes and floral motifs.

This apron was quite simple to make, and all of the edges, except for the hem, are bias bound. View A requires one package of bias tape, and no less! At the beginning of the project, I took a 3 to 4 inch length of the binding and applied it to a small amount of scrap fabric to adjust the thread tension on the sewing machine. As a result, I ran short of binding (by an inch or two). It was alright though, because I was able to purchase more.

As for the fit of the apron, it is a little looser on the sides of the bodice than it is in the picture, but that doesn't really bother me -- I made it to wear while cooking! I think this apron would probably accommodate a fuller-busted person, because of the extra room in the top. The shoulder straps were an inch or two too long for me, as well, but that is easily remedied by a small tuck held by a safety pin. If I make the pattern again, I'll adjust the shoulder strap length in the pattern.

Overall, I'm happy with the pattern. Perhaps someday I'll try making the pink apron with the scalloped hem, as well.

Pink Shell Top

Here are a few pictures of a pink shell top that I recently made, using Simplicity 4368:

I needed a top to wear under the tailored jacket I made, so I decided to borrow the shell from this pattern :) These pictures were taken before the top was hemmed, but the finished garment doesn't look too much different. Here's a picture of the front. . .

. . . And a picture of the back.


I've also been making an apron using a vintage pattern that Simplicity reprinted (pattern number 5961; it has already gone out of print, however).

I'm making view A, which is the green apron on the upper left, and I really like the way this pattern is coming together so far! All I need to do now is sew on the shoulder straps, finish binding the top edge, and sew the hem (sorry, no pictures yet).


-Rebekah

Pictures of the Velveteen Jacket

I have finally taken pictures of the velveteen jacket that I finished after Christmas. This is the third jacket that I made using McCall's 5058 -- this pattern has gone through so much use that it is nearly in shreds!

Here is a view of the front:


A view of the side/front:


Another view of the side/front:


Back view:


Bound buttonholes. Unfortunately, they gape a wee bit.


I found these buttons at Wal-Mart.


I'm sorry the details aren't very evident in these photos -- it can be difficult to capture them all when the jacket is black! This jacket has all of the same details as the other jackets, though, so if you look at the pictures of the other garments that I made using this pattern, you can see what shape the collar and lapels are.

This jacket was made using a 100% cotton velveteen, and it is lined with black cotton batiste (cotton/polyester blend). If I were to make this jacket again, however, I would not line it with batiste. I didn't really realize how how it tends to cling to other fabrics or articles of clothing that I wear under the jacket! It is comfortable if worn over a sleeveless top, though.

Another thing that I learned while making this jacket is that it is probably best to use a heavier interfacing. You can't really see it in the picture, but the side/front princess seams on the jacket pucker slightly, and the roll line of the collar and lapels isn't quite as smooth as it should be. I'm under the impression that it isn't recieving enough support from the interfacing, becuase the interfacing that I used is very light-weight and is really only suitable for light-weight fabrics (my velveteen would probably fall under the catagory of medium-weight). The fusible interfacing that I used on the denim jacket was quite heavy, but it was compatible with the weight of demin and it worked very well.

I had originally intended to top stitch all of the seams with a single line of stitching a 1/4" away from each seam, but after trying it on a few seams, I found that I liked it without the top stitching, so I left the seams plain.

I followed the instructions in the pattern without making any changes, except I sewed the side seams after sewing the collar to the jacket, rather than sewing the side seams first, in order to make the collar application easier. I also added a little extra width to sleeve from the elbow area to the sleeve hem, to yeild a little more room for movement.

If you have any questions, let me know by posting a comment. I'll post again soon with more projects.

-Rebekah

More about the second jacket. . .

Here is the promised information on the denim jacket pictured in the previous post.

I made this jacket using McCall's 5058, a single-breasted jacket pattern sized for junior adults. I made the jacket using a medium-weight denim, and I lined it with pink calico.

When I started planning this project, one of my biggest questions was how and where I was to add topstitch detailing to the garment. I wanted it to look professional, so I looked for pictures of jackets online that had similar design features to my pattern. I also observed ready-to-wear jackets that I saw in stores, and when I finally started to figure out how I wanted to embellish my jacket with stitches, I drew a sketch of my garment, depicting the placement of the topstitching. This helped me visualize what I was about to do, even though I'm not an artist when it comes to drawing. I concluded that I would have a double row of topstitching on all of the main seams: the side front, side, side back, center back, shoulder and sleeve seams. The collar and lapels would feature a double row as well, and the hems would be stitched in place with a single line of stitches 5/8 of an inch away from the folded edge. I did later change my mind, however, and stitch only a single row of topstitching on the edge of the collar and lapels after deciding that I didn't really like the look of the double row on that seam. For the most part, though, the jacket was constructed according to my original plans.

For a double row of stitching on the outside of the seams, I often use a method called a "quick flat-fell seam" from Claire B. Shaeffer's book, The Complete Book of Sewing Short Cuts. It involves folding and stitching in such a way that mimics the felled seams made by professional double needle machines, and it also encases the raw edges of the seam allowances so that they cannot seen from the wrong side of the garment. I could not use this method on the curved seams of the jacket, however, for when you use this method, the seam allowances cannot be be clipped, whereas princess seams must be clipped so they will lie smoothly. So for the curved seams of the jacket, I stitched the seam the seam as I normally would, pressed it to one side, topstitched a single row very close to the seam, and then I topstitched another row 1/4" away from the first row of topstitching. I had to be very careful when sewing the second line so that the distance between the lines would remain exactly 1/4 of an inch. This way of topstitching is not quite as thick as the "quick flat-fell seam," but looks similar, and even though it may not be the way a professional would have sewn a curved seam, it looked close enough to suit my purposes.

In order to create uninterrupted lines of topstitching, I did not backstitch on the outside of the garment. Instead, I simply drew the thread ends to the wrong side of the garment and with a hand sewing needle and tied them in a secure knot.

As you can see from the pictures in the previous post, I made bound buttonholes in the front of the jacket rather than regular buttonholes. I followed the intstructions on making bound buttonholes in the New Complete Guide To Sewing, after interfacing the main front section and before completing any other seams. I also hand understitched the collar/lapel facing seam after grading the seam and turning it right side out. The instructions don't say to understitch this seam, but I think it helps thin out the edges and reduce unwanted bulk.

Conveniently, the only fit alteration that I needed to make to the pattern was to widen the sleeves a bit, so that I would have more room to bend my arms. I simply added a little width to the seam from the elbow area to the sleeve hem.

When I sewed on the buttons to complete the jacket, I used a Claire Shaeffer's instructions for a braided button stem, which can be found in her book, Couture Sewing Techniques (can you tell I like her books?). This method involves strengthening the button stem so that it will not flop over when the garment is unbuttoned.

For someone wanting to do a similar project, I would recommend always making a sample out of scraps to practice topstitching techniques on (and if making bound buttonholes, it's a good idea to test those as well). Practicing all of the techniques that I planned to use simply helped me gain confidence and prevent ripping out stitches later on, because I was able to preview the results, and it helped me adjust stitch lengths and machine tensions, as well.

Well, that's all I can think to say for now. If any part of this post doesn't seem comprehensive, or if you have any questions, simply post a comment below ;)

By the way, I have finished yet a third jacket using this pattern, but I'm rather busy so I'm not sure when I'll have time to post pictures.

Second Jacket is Finished!

Here are the photos of the second jacket that I made using McCall's 5058. This jacket is fashioned of a medium weight denim and embellished with topstitch detail.







A picture of the bound buttonholes at the center front:


The jacket is lined with pink calico.


I also added topstitching to the sleeve seam.


I hope to provide more information on this project soon!

Details of the Tailored Jacket

I Thought I'd take the time to explain the project that I showed in the previous post. I've added a few more pictures to show the inside of the jacket and the lining.

First off, I must say that I am no where near being an experienced tailor; this is the first jacket that I have ever tailored. When I started toying with the idea of learning to tailor a jacket, one book in particular, The Zapp Method of Couture Sewing, grabbed my interest. The author, Anna Zapp, shows how to tailor a jacket using a method called "fuse tailoring," which basically involves using a fusible hair canvas to shape the garment and molding it while the interfacing is being fused. This is the method I had originally thought of using, but after a while I became busy and I didn't have time to start such a large project, and the idea was put "on the back burner," so to speak. Later on when I was not as busy, however, I started to think about tailoring again, only this time I wanted to learn custom tailoring, in which the traditional hand methods are used. The more home seamstresses that I read about online who talked about using traditional methods, the more I wanted to try it. I knew that many of them were advanced by their years of experience, but I figured that if I wanted to be able to do it well someday, I would have to start somewhere, so I decided to give it a try.

Next, I set out in search of reliable instructions on the subject. I rummaged through various library books, and, after looking through a few of them, I selected the Reader's Digest's The New Complete Guide to Sewing and Claire B. Shaeffer's Couture Sewing Techniques. I liked The New Complete Guide To Sewing for it's thorough, detailed, and comprehensive directions, and I had grown very fond Couture Sewing Techniques after borrowing it a few times, and figured that with Claire's extensive knowledge of couture methods, it wouldn't hurt to use it as a supplement to the first book that I mentioned. For the actual construction of the jacket, I followed the Reader's Digest (RD) book pretty closely, but I used Claire's advice while attaching the bridle*, pad stitching the lapels, and taping the front seamline.

Finally, here are a few additional snapshots:









In these photos, you can see a close-up photo of the bound buttonholes at the center front. Unfortunately, the pictures don't really show the pleat in the center back seam of the lining or in the lining hem :(
Note: These photographs were taken with a flash, so the lining appears to be somewhat illuminated.

Materials used: Fashion fabric - Bouclé (50% Wool, 50% Acrylic), Lining - Plum colored lining fabric (100% Polyseter), Hair canvas - medium weight (60% Wool, 40% Goat hair), Bridle - I actually didn't use bridle. I used 1/4" white twill tape as a substitute (100% Cotton), Sleeve heading - Polyester fleece.

The jacket isn't entirely perfect; I encountered a few difficulties, such as areas that seemed to pucker and imperfections in a few places (the notch of the collar and lapels, for instance), but I suppose that could very well be expected of my first jacket.

One tip that I would offer to other beginning tailors (based on the experience error) is to choose a fabric that is easy to work with yet still compatible for tailoring when starting your first project. A wool gabardine** or twill would probably be among the better choices. When I chose to use bouclé for my jacket, I did not realize how difficult it would be to handle. It was not impossible, but the fact that it was spongy, bulky, and frayed badly made it difficult to stitch and press. Areas of construction such as attaching the collar to the jacket and facing the lapels require precise stitching, and stitches have a way of hiding in bouclé that makes them hard to see or remove. My fabric also required special pressing techniques which caused me to spend more time worrying about protecting my fabric from the iron than actually molding the jacket and learning how to shape it.

This is all I can think to say on the subject at the moment, but if you have any additional questions as to how I made this jacket, post a comment and let me know!


*If you're not familiar with the term "bridle" as I mentioned it above, bridle is a particular sort of narrow cotton tape that is used in tailoring to prevent unwanted stretching in areas such as the roll line of the lapels.

**ETA: When I originally wrote this post, I mentioned gabardine as being easier to press than bouclé. I was mistaken, however, because gabardine can be difficult to handle, as well. Sorry for the confusion! I guess I'm always learning!

Tailored jacket is finally finished!

Just posting a few pictures of my tailored jacket , which I've previously mentioned it in my "Playing Tailor" post, as well as my "Pressing Bouclé Fabric" post. I finally sewed the buttons on today, after the jacket clothed my dress form for a few weeks while waiting for me to find buttons that suited my taste. I actually ended up using self-fabric covered buttons because I couldn't find anything else for the moment. This project was completed in a little over a month, and I worked on it whenever I found the time. Here are a few pictures:







You can find a few details about the fabric/information used to make the jacket in the two links that I mentioned above, and if you have any questions, you can them post by leaving a comment :) I'm also in the process of making a second jacket using the same pattern used to make this one, except I won't be tailoring it because I don't have the time/resources, and the type of fabric that I'm using cannot really be tailored. Hopefully I'll be able to give more details on the construction (and possibly more photos) at some other time -- they are too numerous to mention now ;)
I really enjoyed this project, even though it was a bit of a challenge at times, but I suppose that could be expected of my first tailoring project!

Note: I'm sorry that the photo quality is not as good as it could be -- a few of my pictures turned out to be more blury than I had expected.

Simplicity 9825 {pictures}

Here are some photos of a jean skirt I made using Simplicity 9825.

Front:


Back:


Zipper detail:


Yolk detail:


Inside detail:


Hem detail:


Details of the construction can be found here.

Pressing Boucle Fabric

Last night I was able to start officially start my tailoring project (that is, if cutting out the fabric doesn't count), and the first step was to assemble the front and back pieces (i.e., sew the side front panels to the center front panels, and sew the center back seam, ect.). So far, so good. I still need to sew the side back pieces to the main panel of the back.

Claire Shaeffer warns in her fabric books that bouclé can easily be damaged by improper pressing, so I test pressed the fabric, and found that the following method seems to be the most suitable for my material:

1) Cover a dressmaker's/tailor's ham with a thick terry towel (this will help to retain the texture of the fabric and keep it from becoming matted flat).

2) Place the item that is to be pressed over the towel.

3) Cover the bouclé with a self-fabric press cloth, and press the fabric as needed. If you're pressing open a seam, press the seam flat as it was when it was sewn, then finger-press the seam open. (Hint: Because my fabric's fibers are 50% acrylic, I used an extra press cloth of cotton muslin over the self-fabric press cloth to prevent the fabric from being scorched. This was very handy while I was finger pressing, because I could rotate the muslin immediately after I removed the iron from the material's surface, so that I would not have to touch hot fabric).

4) Immediately after pressing a section of the fabric (and without removing the fabric from the pressing surface), remove the press cloth(es) and hover the iron close to the material's surface and steam it generously (this will help restore the texture of the fabric). Do not move the fabric until it is cool and dry.

These instructions are basically what I learned from Claire Shaeffer's fabric books. If you'd like to try this, please do remember that my fabric is 50% Wool and 50% Acrylic, and these pressing directions are suited to my fabric, so I'd recommend test-pressing your fabric before trying this method on an actual project :)

This is one of the reasons that I only completed several seams last night -- I spent more time in front of the ironing board than I spent at the sewing machine!

-Rebekah

Playing Tailor :)

I'm finally about to start my first tailoring job! I'm so exited that I can barely wait -- the only thing holding me back are the rest of the supplies that I have to buy. I've purchased a two yard length of bouclé fabric from Fashion Fabrics Club -- here's a picture:



You can find specific information on the fabric here. I'm using McCall's 5058 for the pattern, but I'm following the basic tailoring instructions from the Reader's Digest New Complete Guide to Sewing, and following also the the advice on tailoring written by Claire B. Shaeffer in her book, Couture Sewing Techniques. I've started practicing making bound buttonholes, which I've never done before. It's pretty simple once you "get the hang of it," though doing bound buttonholes with bouclé fabric, as I've discovered, can be a challenge! The fabric is rather thick, does not readily hold a crease, and frays excessively, so I'm making the sort of bound buttonhole with cording inserted in the welts. After practicing on several pieces of scrap fabric I've finally become used to the way it's supposed work, and I would post a picture of one of my little test buttonholes, but the camera is currently unavailable :( Oh, well. I'll keep posting!

Formal Gown Pictures

I've finally taken a few photos of two formal gowns I made this past spring. They were originally made for me and my sister to wear to a formal event, but, however, they were not finished before the deadline so the have remained unworn unto this point. Both dresses were made with the same pattern, featuring princess seams that spread into a full gored skirt with black tulle peaking out below the hemline. The dresses are further embellished with a wide black ribbon worn about the waist and pinned in place with a large flower.

When my sister and I started planning how we wanted our dresses to look, we browsed various websites offering formal gowns. Our inspiration for the final product originally came from a pretty pink dress made by A Formal Choice and a similar dress from Beautifully Modest. I was unable to find a pattern for the exact design specifications that I was looking for, so I drafted the bodice of view "F" from Butterick 4443 into the strapless panels of McCall's 5001, and followed the pattern instructions from the Butterick pattern until the dress was lined, at which point turned to the directions written for the McCall's pattern for advice on attaching the tulle to the lining. My sister and I wanted the necklines to be square, so I reshaped the neckline of the dress while testing the re-drafted pattern on an inexpensive fabric.

I found Claire Shaeffer's book, Sew Any Fabric, very helpful as I was learning how to handle the fabric that I planned to use. I was a bit confused as to how I was going to ease the sleeve cap into the armholes of the dresses, because I was using taffeta to make one of them, and many people advise removing ease from the sleeve pattern when making a taffeta sleeve, because this fabric is said to be difficult to ease. I posted at the forum of Sensibility.com with my concerns, and the ladies there were very generous with their advice -- the discussion can be found here (you may need to be a registered member and login before you are able to view this thread). After taking the advice of Elizabeth Stewart Clark, the sleeves went into the gowns very easily and I'm quite satisfied with the results :) You can also find another thread here that I started at the same forum when having trouble with the hem of the satin dress. I eventually used an artificial horsehair braid, as was suggested. Thank you so much to the ladies of the S&S forum -- you ladies are awsome!

With all of the above being said, it is now time to show the pictures! Click on any one of them for a larger photo :)















The pink gown was made from a taffeta fabric which I purchased from JoAnn's (fabric store). It was a rather thick taffeta with a very iridescent sheen on the right side. I am not a very big fan of extremely shiny dresses (at least not for myself, anyway), so I used the wrong side of the fabric and found that I really liked it. The dress was hand-hemmed after tiny darts were sewn into the hem allowance to control the fullness that came from the gores. The dress does appear shine a little, but this comes from the flash of the camera.

The red gown was made from a somewhat dull-finished satin from the "Casa Collection" at JoAnn's. I believe that the fabric is 100% polyester, and it's very forgiving -- I fell in love with it! You can see the sleeve detail by referring to the last picture.

Both dresses came directly from the closet and could use a little pressing (the hem of the red one especially --it's a little bit smooshed!), so please excuse their condition. Please excuse also the back picture of the red dress, as it seems a slight bit blurry. The ribbon and flower have yet to be permanently attached -- they are only just pinned in place for the photos :)

Hopefully these dresses will come out of the closet for wearing someday -- it is rather nice knowing that they are there, though -- just in case we ever need them!

-Rebekah

Making a few changes. . .

I've recently decided to make a few changes to this blog, so I've "pruned" some of the unnecessary posts and plan to try making this a more interesting site -- probably one that would include more pictures of my projects and how they were made, rather than using this site as a place to simply say that I'm doing them. Nothing big may happen immediately, but I do plan to gradually make this place a more interesting site to browse :)

Updated Again!

Yup. I've updated the corset diary again. Just click here to see it.
I've also been working on valances for the family room windows using Simplicity 4997. I'm not using the pattern for its simplicity (pardon the pun!)-- I'm using it because it's cute! The pattern is very easy, and turns out really nice. I'm making up view "A" with a plaid decorator fabric and a contrasting fabric for the back panel -- I've already finished two valances save for the buttons.

Well, I've got to go now -- even if I didn't, I don't really have much else to say!

-Rebekah

New Diary Updated!

Just posting here to say that I've updated the regency corset diary, and you can read all about the project if you simply click here. I've just published a very long post that was written by me last night. I'll try to post here every time I update it ( just as I'm doing now). I have more to write about the project, so I need to post again later. Anyhow, if you'd like to see how the corset is coming along, I have a detailed account to for you to read!

I'm still here ;)

I just haven't updated my blog for some time (probably no surprise, though!). I've been working on the corset that I started making using the Late 1820's Stays pattern from Nora Waugh's Corsets and Crinolines! I'm still in the process of adjusting the fit, so I've also been planning how I'm going to construct the corset and designing an embroidery/quilting pattern for it. I've purchased the sateen that I'm going to make it with, along with a few spools of silk sewing thread. My hand stitching still needs a little practice, too, but before I post everything about the project here, I think it would be a great deal more simple to say that I've opened a separate blog so that this project can have its own diary -- click here to see it. This way, all the information on the stays will all be organized into one place. Leave a comment there for me, if you have any questions or thoughts on the subject :)
Well that's all for now -- I hope to post more on the Diary of a Regency Corset soon!

Victorian Corset Pictures

I finally found the time to get some photos of my Victorian corset uploaded!





To make this corset, I used the Laughing Moon Ladies' Victorian Underwear pattern, "china twill" (100% cotton) for the outmost layer, and pillow ticking (100% cotton) for the lining. I purchased all of the special corset making supplies (boning, cotton twill tape, lacing, ect.) from Farthingales and Corsetmaking.com. I purchased the grommets and grommet setting kit from the Laughing Moon Mercantile (click on first link).

The pattern was pretty simple to follow, but the fitting steps can be rather involved. It is worth it, however, to go through the process of fitting the corset with a cheap material before constructing the final corset (because of the close fit). I would definately recommend this pattern to someone who would like to make her first corset. It explains the construction methods very well, and aside from the fitting stage, it only requires basic sewing techniques and a few special materials :)

-Rebekah

Note: The chemise pictured in the photos was made using a pattern that I drafted while following the free instructions at Elizabeth Stewart Clark's website. The instructions were easy to follow, and the pattern probably didn't take more than half hour to draft. I am pleased with the way it turned out, other than the neckline being a little narrower than I would have preferred ( which was caused by a mistake that I made while taking measurements).

M4930 - Dress Pictures

Here are a few pictures of the brown dress that I made using McCall's 4930:





I made a few alterations, most of which pertained to fitting issues. If you look at the pattern photo you can see that I omitted the armhole extentions. I did this because they simply didn't flatter my figure, and I thought that the jacket would probably fit over the dress better if they were not there.

The fitting alterations made are as follows:

- Lowering the neckline, for comfort.
- Raising the bustline shaping (in the pattern) by two inches.
- Reducing the waistline.
- Adding more room at hipline.
- Adding an inch or two to the hemline

Overall I'd say that most of the fitting problems probably came from my figure -- not the pattern. These fitting issues were time consuming to correct, but after they were resolved (using a muslin fabric to test the pattern) the dress went together very quickly, and the pattern instructions were easy to follow.

-Rebekah

Just a little note:
Sorry that the photos aren't too great :( They're rather blurry, and they don't do the fabric justice (it's very nice fabric, and it's darker than the photos suggest). Oh, well. They do reveal a rough idea of the results that can be achieved with this pattern, at least.