I thought this would be a cool, airy dress for summer. Dress it up or dress it down. Hoping that it would be an easy sew to add to my TNT collection.
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| Silhouette Pattern #4009 |
To start with I HATE that the measurements on the back of the package are garment finished size. She tells you to measure a item you already have and compare. The problem is that I don't have a dress similar to this in my closet.
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| Silhouette Pattern #4009 Moroco's Dress |
Looking at the garment sizes, I decided to cut out a size 4. That's in the middle of the sizing range. I don't think I am a plus anymore but I still have 52" hips.
The dress was HUGE! The Size 4 gives me 12" of bust ease, 30" of waist ease and 30" of hip ease. This is for a knit! The front scoop is cut VERY low. I had to take 1-1/2" from the shoulder seams and re-scoop the back neck. I also used my armhole template and I'm glad I did because it brought the lower part of the armhole up 3"!
Warning: This dress pattern takes 6 yards of fabric! I used jersey knit that I had in my stash. The dress feels like it weighs 5 pounds! Maybe a lighter type knit should be used but it doesn't state that.
I think the print fabric I chose makes the dress look more like a nightgown to me.
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| Side View |
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| Back View |
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| Side slit |
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| Button at lower side slit |
I used a piece of elastic to make the loop. It's in a weird spot and you can see it when you don't wear the dress sides up. I re-read the instructions thinking I misplaced the loop but I think it's in the correct spot.
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| Armhole |
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You can wear it with just one side up or both sides............Or NOT at all! Maybe just to bed but I think all this fabric would swallow me up while I was sleeping!
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| One side up |
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| Both sides up |
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| The Golden Girls |
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| Not happening! |
Should I try the size 1 (the smallest size), giving myself 3" of bust ease, 22" of waist ease and 24" of hip ease? It still seems like too much ease for a knit.
I really didn't want to post these photos but for the sake of sewing I'll let you see them. I look like I'm the size of an elephant!
Even after letting the dress hang for almost a week it keeps growing. The back and sides are now longer, again!
This is after wearing the dress for about 20 minutes! The neckline is getting lower and lower. It's a no for me!
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| The growing dress! |
Maybe I should go shopping for some thin knit fabric to try again.................But do I want to try this pattern again?
Pondering the purchase of this Silhouette Pattern!
Until next time....................
Bonnie
I say recut that fabric into one of your tnt's and rescue it. That looks like a no-go. The photo is really cute from the front, but if you don't feel at least comfortable and at best pretty in it don't waste more sewing time. At least it is large enough to recut and rescue that pretty fabric!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, whichever way you look at it, that dress is a disaster :-) The upshot is that you have enough fabric to re-cut it into something else that you like. I'm in the middle of trying to salvage a similar wadder myself. Good luck!
ReplyDeleteLee.
No offense, but that is not a look for you. The dress is too large and the fabric keeps growing. From the look of the pattern, the dress seems to be a 'swing' or 'trapeze' dress with a drop shoulder. A knit could work, not jersey though. You could use your tnt pattern to draft your own version. I definitely don't like the overlay look--too much fabric and looks like waterfall drapes. Love the comparison with the Golden Girls (lol).
ReplyDeleteThank-you for describing your process so nicely,even though you were not happy with the final result. I ran into the same problem with a similar style pattern and a brown double gauze weave. The fabric I used was too heavy for the style and the garment hung poorly on me...like a burlap potato sack...lol. This style of pattern requires very light weight fabric, so that the weight of all that fabric does not distort the shape. It would be great if you were able to save the very pretty fabric you used, for a garment that you liked more.
ReplyDeleteCheers, Shirley
I bought this pattern based on how the garment looked on Peggy in her YouTube video. When I got it and saw what it was, a basic knit flared dress, the pattern got put away. Appreciate you sharing your experience. Hope you can reuse the fabric for another garment.
ReplyDeleteI agree! I NEVER have anything in my wardrobe to "compare" finished garment measurements to with Silhouette Patterns. If I had something, I wouldn't be sewing in the first place! However, I'm so sorry this didn't work out for you and like others have said, maybe you can salvage some of the fabric and make something that works better. You're brave to post a fail and I give you props for doing so. The sewing community needs to read & see when things don't always work so well for everyone. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you on finished garment measurements! Some pattern don't work out but Silhouette Patterns continue to fail me. Maybe I should try to sew up all Silhouette patterns and post them. But sewing fails mess with my sewing mojo!
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