I am about 3/4 of the way done with a dress for Suelynn and Degal’s wedding this weekend and honestly, I don’t think I’m going to wear it. I’ll attempt to finish making it and maybe prove myself wrong, but let’s just say I’m glad I have a backup dress.
Here’s where the problem started, I was really into the polka dot blouse and worked right past when I said I would stop to give myself enough time to make the dress. I originally planned a month for this dress, but left myself two weeks…two weeks minus 4 days for a business trip.
I had no plan in mind except to get an easy pattern that I could rush through. I found 3 that I really liked and 1 that was just ok. Guess which was the only one available in my size? Yup, the just ok one. So I went with it.
I kept coming across this bright blue color recently and had it in my mind to go with that. By the way, I hate the color blue. My last car was blue and I despised it until I happily totaled it in the beginning of the year. Regardless of knowing I hate blue, I got it anyway.
Then I had to find a contrasting chiffon for the top. I wanted a pattern, but they only had solids. I can’t wait until I’m local enough to shop in Manhattan and not limited to 2 stores. Blahhhhh….black chiffon. I’m already not excited about this dress but I’ve got no time to be picky.
Plan for the night: cut out the patterns and material. Reality of the night: spend 20 mins trying to find the sizing chart, another 20 looking for the straight of grain marking, even more trying to decipher the hieroglyphics on the patterns and only ended up getting the patterns cut out. No fabric. I have been reading patterns over a year now, I’m not that illiterate, but this was a new brand and by far the most confusing I’ve come across yet. I’m pretty sure I won’t use Burda patterns again because I don’t have enough money to spend on therapy. I should let the woman at Joanns know the sizing chart was on the actual pattern, not the envelope, since she couldn’t find it either.
Once I figured everything out, cutting the patterns and fabric was easy peasy, only 5 pieces!
Now on to sewing. The first step says to use a twin needle. A what? I went digging in my sewing box and miraculously found one. I watched some YouTube videos to find out how to thread it, got the tension right then moved to step 2….use a single needle. Are you effing kidding me?!? I read through the rest of the directions and found out the twin needle is only used on the last step and step one was just, i guess, letting me know to get ready for it. Gee, am I glad I wasted time setting that up….no, no, think positive…at least I learned something.
So the real first step is making the bodice. I did a few seams and some stay stitching, then it instructed to sew in the elastic. I know it did not mention elastic on the notions list, but just to be sure I went back and double checked. Nope, not listed. Thanks Burda. Since I didn’t buy any, I had to use the elastic I got for my polka dot blouse 😦 I’ve never worked with elastic before so I think I did it right. What’s the worst that could happen? Oh yeah, wardrobe malfunction. That’s one way to make an entrance to a wedding.
I still wasn’t fond of the black chiffon with a blue dress so I bought more chiffon in a light grey. I spent a lot of time trying to pressing the seams in and tried sew the edges, but to no avail. Since the fabric – which I’m pretty sure isn’t really chiffon – was so thin, the sewing machine kept pulling it into the bottom. Not frustrating at all. Reluctantly, I went back to the black chiffon, ruched both pieces and sewed the bodice to the skirt, which is where I am today.
Personally I think the amount of chiffon is waaaay too bulky and I don’t like it so far. I was planning on removing that part and just making it a plain blue dress, but I have plans both nights before the wedding, soooooo….I think I may just finish this some other time and keep it for another night. Oh, did I mention I have another wedding in June that I want to make a dress for? This time I’ll give myself the full month to work and hope it turns out better.
❤
straight of grain 
I always thought that it would be MUCH easier to shop for fabric in a suburb I would murder for a JoAnne’s Fabric here! All the fabric stores are closed evenings and weekends or really expensive! Do you have one in Manhattan that you recommend? I got my wedding fabric for my decorations on Amazon from fabric.com and they turned out fine it’s just obviously difficult not to touch them.
Have fun at the wedding! Hope the apocalypse doesn’t put a damper on the mood!
I think we’re making the same assumptions for different areas, because I have never shopped for fabric in Manhattan but just feel like there are a lot more options. There’s one near Chris’s in BK I want to check out that is open on Saturdays! If I remember when I get home I’ll email you the list of Manhattan fabric stores my professor at FIT recommended. I think you’ve got the right idea though shopping online, probably the best selection.