Plan B

Well I made a practice dress for the McCalls knit dress. I liked it, but didn't love it. I think it was the fabric I chose. It was just some thinner rayon knit and it kind of drooped in the bodice on my. I cut out a 14 based on reading reviews that it ran big, yes, it does run big. I will definitely cut a smaller size in the shoulders on the next one. My practice dress is very salvagable but at the moment it just didn't interest me. I thought maybe once I got started on the good stuff I'd be happier. I laid it out all neat and was about to cut into it but just couldn't. There was that little voice in the back of my head telling me it wasn't right...ok, so maybe I'm crazy but whenever I have ignored this little voice, I don't like the garment. So, I listened this time instead of cutting in to the gorgeous silk jersey. I folded it all up neatly and put it away for future inspiration.

So, it really wasn't that I lost my mojo, it was just not the right pattern or the right fabric for the moment. Instead, as I told my husband, I was more in a $5.99 yard poly/rayon/lycra mood versus the $30 a yard silk jersey mood. I cut this out last night. It's Butterick 5559. It's not a neckline that I normally wear and may stretch it out a bit into a boatneck but I'm waiting to give it a try first. But holy darts and lines Batman! It looks like an easy pattern but there is a lot of prep to mark all the darts and folds. I cut out a straight 14 with no FBA. The measurements say it's 38 1/2 inches in the bust finished which is a smidge too tight for me, but I find that Butterick runs larger than they say IMO. I'm going to take 1/4 seams instead of 5/8 inch seams and then take in as I need to or not. I don't even know how I'd do an FBA on this. It has side darts on both sides of the front but they aren't even and there are three darts on one side but only one on the other. I have the front and back bodice marked and will take a picture before I sew them in.

And just to make things difficult, the pattern did not include one of the facing pieces in size 14. There were two size 16s. I even laid them on top of each other and they were the same. Printing error! So I had to grade down the 16, hopefully it will be right. It's just the facing so I can tweak it if necessary. I may end up redrafting them anyways if I make the neck more boatnecky.

Pictures to follow tonight.



Here's the fabric. It looks like it's $6.99 a yard but I got it on sale at FabricMart.