After the success of Frankendress #1, despite fabric shortcomings, I decided to plunge right into two more dresses using my now trusty MN Ruched Maternity Skirt. Here is the first one, which also uses the Megan Nielsen Ruched Maternity t-shirt pattern for the bodice portion.
Using patterns from the same designer/same collection made the tee and skirt pattern pieces easy to match up in the pre-cutting phase. Hence, I was able to cut the front piece and the back piece without a seam under the bust.
I think this dress is really all about the fabric. It's a jersey blend from MetroTextiles. I knew I wanted to make it into a very simple style so that the variegated stripes would be the real feature of the dress without any darts or seams to break it up. This also made it very easy to sew. The biggest decisions were how I wanted the stripes to fall on my body and how I wanted the sleeves to look, given that cutting the sleeves so that the stripes line up with the dress stripes is just not a skill I have.
There's not much to say about the tee pattern - it's a good basic. The upper portion of this dress (bust on up) is the size medium sewn with no changes except lengthening the short sleeves by 2 inches, which is a more flattering length and better for the cooler weather. Setting in sleeves is not one of my favorite sewing chores; I was happy that these ones go in flat.
To do again, I'd probably play around a little bit with the sleeve fit. There's a little gathering/pooling of fabric between bust and armpit. I think the shoulder/sleeve seam is not falling correctly on my shoulder point - it needs to be a slight bit closer to my neck. The sleeve also needs reshaping and possibly a higher sleeve cap. My one complaint about the pattern is that the sleeve is symmetrical - the same shape front and back. But I'm really not worried about it given that my sewing these days is time-sensitive, and "good enough" really is perfect.
Even though this is a basic t-shirt dress, it really makes me feel pretty chic. What I want - and I think what most pregnant women want - is a maternity wardrobe that would be stylish at any time, but that fits during pregnancy.
Next up - don't miss Frankendress #3, which is in jeopardy of being a fail! I need your help deciding what to do with this one.
Using patterns from the same designer/same collection made the tee and skirt pattern pieces easy to match up in the pre-cutting phase. Hence, I was able to cut the front piece and the back piece without a seam under the bust.
 |
| Matched stripes at the seams |
There's not much to say about the tee pattern - it's a good basic. The upper portion of this dress (bust on up) is the size medium sewn with no changes except lengthening the short sleeves by 2 inches, which is a more flattering length and better for the cooler weather. Setting in sleeves is not one of my favorite sewing chores; I was happy that these ones go in flat.
To do again, I'd probably play around a little bit with the sleeve fit. There's a little gathering/pooling of fabric between bust and armpit. I think the shoulder/sleeve seam is not falling correctly on my shoulder point - it needs to be a slight bit closer to my neck. The sleeve also needs reshaping and possibly a higher sleeve cap. My one complaint about the pattern is that the sleeve is symmetrical - the same shape front and back. But I'm really not worried about it given that my sewing these days is time-sensitive, and "good enough" really is perfect.
 |
| Bump shot! |
Even though this is a basic t-shirt dress, it really makes me feel pretty chic. What I want - and I think what most pregnant women want - is a maternity wardrobe that would be stylish at any time, but that fits during pregnancy.
Next up - don't miss Frankendress #3, which is in jeopardy of being a fail! I need your help deciding what to do with this one.
9 comments:
it's such a cutie :D!!!
You are the beautiful!! And rocking the pregnancy fashion!!
Love this one! The fabric is awesome.
Stylish indeed!
I love the way the stripes fall — you planned it perfectly! You look amazing.
This is killer!
This is fabulous!
Thanks everyone! This one really was the best combination of fun and easy!
Beautiful! Maternity or not! You did a great job with the stripes - I especially like the neckline!
Post a Comment