Miss Peggy Cozies Up to Plaid

Bonjour, my dear ones! Apologies for my unexpected blog silence, this past week. Between the holidays, my bachelorette party (a Nancy-Drew-inspired mystery dinner adventure), and crossing off my wedding to-do list, time slipped away from me. We're getting married in two weeks and, despite trying to keep everything low key, there are still so many things to be done!

Also, it's fucking cold. 

I would apologize for my language, but the high today is 22° Fahrenheit, with a wind chill of 12°. 

It hasn't been above freezing in two days. That may seem wimpy to those in the northern climes, but our average December high temperature is safely in the sixties. We're currently under a freezing fog advisory. I didn't even know that fog could freeze! "Freaking" really doesn't seem strong enough for the situation.

Snow fell this morning and is still frozen on things! Snow! On things! 

The good news, however, is that this weather is excellent practice for our honeymoon to Ireland. My cold weather wardrobe is going to be bangin', by the time our Boxing Day flight leaves. To that end, I've made another cozy skirt! 

After my trial run of the Peggy skirt, we all knew there was a love affair in store. I absolutely adore this pattern. The pretty pockets, figure-hugging high waist, and simple lines are the stuff my skirt dreams are made of. For my second version, I used a dreamy black, cream, and pink wool blend from Fabric Mart. 

As soon as Sam and I decided to honeymoon in Ireland during the winter, I invested in some pretty woolens. It's easy to talk myself out of such purchases, since we live in the sweltering Texas heat for half of the year, but I always lust after winter fabrics. The trip is a great excuse to indulge that fancy!

This wool blend, medium weight and with a nice drape, is such a Mary lust fabric. The combination of black, cream, and light pink is one of my favorites. There's something so 1950's Paris about those colors together, you know? It's only by the grace of looking bad in hats that I haven't bought a pink beret to pair with this skirt. I loooooove it. 

This round of Peggy skirt construction was a breeze, y'all. After my first time inserting those pockets, it was remarkably easy to repeat, and the rest of the skirt is just a few tucks and a lapped zipper. If you have any questions about construction, it would be best to reference my muslin post, which is a true in-depth review. 

The only challenge of this skirt came in matching the large scale plaid. I cut it on a single layer layout, which is time consuming, but a great way to make sure every line is straight. For matching the plaid itself, I took the Lladybird approach to things and cut everything I could on the bias, which meant the waistband and pockets. I love how the bias-cut waistband turned out, specifically. It emphasizes the beauty of Abby's design to perfection.

Since the Peggy Skirt side seams are curved, I settled for matching horizontal lines there, which turned out reasonably well and made hemming way easy. Meanwhile, the back. Let's talk about the back...

Oh, look! Mary matched plaids perfectly! Or wait...

I spent a ridiculous amount of time and effort matching the back seam, only to realize after sewing it up that I'd omitted the two white vertical lines that were supposed to be there. Instead, I oh-so-brilliantly matched one thin white line instead. Whhhhhyyyyy? 

It doesn't bother my eye any, but after all that effort, it feels like such a fail. I was so proud of myself! I even trotted out to Sam mid-construction, so that he could admire my plaid-matching skillz. All for naught. Whatever. I'm pretty sure that I'm not meant to be a person who perfectly matches plaid, anyway. That's for far more sophisticated people than I. 

I like my thin white line! Take that, gods of plaid!

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The pocket! It's a genius little design, once you have confidence in the method, and adds a really special detail. 
• The pattern! Fun fact: After my first Peggy, Abby informed me that I was actually the first person to buy the Peggy pattern. Ergo, logic insists that I'm a superfan and have the authority to say...go buy it now. Now! Now! Now! It's the perfect skirt pattern, friends. This is one you'll go back to again and again, I promise. 
• The waistline! I love a high waist so hard, y'all.  

Things I Changed:

• Cut a smaller waistband.
• Took a very large hem again - over five inches. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Add the tabs! I still haven't added this design detail, despite how adorable it is. Next time...

Notions & Fabric:

• 7 inch hot pink zipper, which Sam insisted on while accompanying me JoAnn's. He was correct. I love the pop of color, when it peeks out. 
• 1 vintage button
• Two yards of wool blend - $16
• Fusible Interfacing

Construction Time:

• Three hours, including the hand-sewn zipper and hem.

Miss Peggy Walks in the Woods

Happy Thanksgiving week, friends! Or, my dear international ones, Happy Week of American Friends Posting Pictures of Turkey Dinners on Instagram! This week has been much busier than expected, with family coming in early and wedding plans demanding attention, so my promised princess seam FBA post will have to wait until this weekend. In the meantime, I'm going to channel Macy's and parade out some giant balloons finished objects.

First up. we have my wearable muslin of the Peggy Skirt from Bluegingerdoll Patterns. 

This fall, I've made a point to sew up more separates. It would be easy to sew up dress after lovely dress, but in the chillier months I love having layers to pile on. A skirt that works with sweaters and boots is priceless! Ergo, when Abby from Bluegingerdoll released the retro high-waisted Peggy skirt, I bought it the same day.

The Peggy skirt comes in three waistband variations--straight, curved, and sweetheart--with eased-in faced pockets and optional waistband tabs. For this first one, I used inexpensive polished cotton leftover from my Elisalex muslin, so I went with the simplest construction possible: a straight waistband and no tabs.

The Peggy skirt was my first Bluegingerdoll pattern to sew up, though I own both the Mae blouse and the Billie Jean dress, and it was a joy to create. One of my favorite things about sewing with indie patterns is, of course, the packaging. Bluegingerdoll added some great personal touches in this arena: heavy weight pattern paper, a pretty Kraft paper envelope, and a twine closure. Lovely!

Even better, the pattern itself is a mentally stimulating project. At every step, there is something to differentiate it from a Big 4 straight skirt. There are two small tucks in the front--which not only add visual interest, but increase the ease of movement--in addition to darts in the back, the aforementioned bagged pocket, a lapped zipper, and button waistband closure. While all those details don't make it an ideal beginner's pattern, I absolutely loved them. 

The only true weak spot of this pattern is, in my opinion, the instructional insert. Perhaps it's because I began sewing with Simplicity patterns, but I prefer exhaustive directions and these were a little skim. Like some other indie companies, the Peggy instructions periodically referred one to online tutorials, instead of providing all the directions right at hand. If you don't already know how to do a lapped zipper, for example, have your computer at the ready!

For the pocket, specifically, I wish things had been clearer. It was such an unconventional construction that, without a really great diagram, I ended up sewing my first one incorrectly. Though it doesn't show on the outside, my pocket facings are inside out, as a result. If this wasn't a muslin, I probably would have re-done it, but my first rule of muslin-making is not to be a perfectionist. I absolutely love how the pocket turned out, however, gaping just the right amount to be cute and hold my cell phone perfectly.

Fabric wise, the polished cotton I used for this Peggy is a classic red with tiny white polka dots. It wrinkles like crazy, as you can see from these photos, and was a quickly regretted sale purchase. Y'all, I bought five yards of this stuff for some unknown reason. Five yards of icky-feeling, slippery, polka dots. Thank heavens for muslin making! This is no longer staring at me from the stash and I've actually ended up liking both garments I made with it.

There weren't many changes to make for this skirt either, just a few pesky fit adjustments. As the pattern was drafted, I was between two sizes, so I cut the larger one and graded down at the waistband by three inches. Aside from that, I took a much larger hem than instructed -- a little over five inches, in the end. The Peggy skirt is designed for a vintage-inspired length, with the hem falling a few inches below the knee. This skirt length can look adorable on some people, but I'm decidedly not one of them. So, I indulged myself and took a deep hem instead, which put it at the top of my knee. Much more flattering!

In the end, this turned out to be such an adorable skirt. I absolutely love the high waist, which seems to work better in this skirt than my other autumnal love, the Zinnia, and could wax poetic about these pockets for days. I won't, though! Instead, I'm already making another one for Thanksgiving day, in a large scale wool plaid. This is the perfect pattern for a TNT cozy skirt. If the Peggy is anything to go by, Bluegingerdoll Patterns is an indie to keep an eye on. I can't wait to try out Abby's other designs!

The details...

Things I Loved:

• The pocket! It's a genius little design, once you have confidence in the method, and adds a really special detail. 
• The pattern! I love when indie pattern companies opt for thicker pattern paper. It's so much nicer to trace and cut around. 
• The waistline! High waists can be uncomfortably restrictive, but because of the front pleats in the skirt, the Peggy is delightfully comfortable. 

Things I Changed:

• Cut a smaller waistband.
• Took a very large hem - over five inches. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Add the tabs! I love this design detail and will definitely implement it next time around. 

Notions & Fabric:

• 8 inch zipper
• 1 vintage button
• Two yards of cotton - $8
• Fusible Interfacing

Construction Time:

• Three hours, including the hand-sewn zipper and hem.

Miss Elisalex Finds Something Blue

Hello, my darling dears! I am late to a party, but that's fashionable, non? The party in question is not, it should be said, a rollicking Wednesday night wayzgoose, but rather a year-long internet fête for By Hand London's Elisalex dress. People love this dress.

People, it turns out, have excellent taste. The Elisalex is a flirty little frock, with her extravagant skirt lines and perfect princess-seamed bodice. She's just the pattern to reach for, if you need a fancy date night dress to knock his/her socks off.

As for me, the Elisalex was just the thing for my date with destiny. 

Destiny and loads of presents are the same thing right? I made my second Elisalex (the first a wearable muslin of sorts, to be blogged shortly) in Italian cotton brocade, for my bridal shower this past weekend. Thrown by my two best friends, maid and matron of honor, I was given specific instructions to do nothing but show up to the shower "in something fabulous." A brocade Elisalex, paired with my new blue Seychelles heels, fit the bill nicely. 

This blue-and-white cotton brocade has been in my fancy fabrics box for about a year, after I impulsively bought it from Fabric Mart. It was $24/yard on sale and, with a buttery soft feel and surprisingly soft drape, was worth every penny. They had a least a dozen colorways of these brocades, but this blue set my heart fluttering. I had to have it, despite not knowing what the heck I'd do with it. It was an auspiciously good buy, because this fabric screams fancy bride at her fancy bridal shower. 

It also, of course, frays like the very devil and doesn't hold stitches terribly well. Why must the beautiful things always be evil? Just once, I'd like a party fabric that's easy to sew up or a purple tree frog that doesn't secrete toxin. 

To be fair, I wasn't exactly easy on this fabric. Despite doing not one, but two, Elisalex muslins before starting this project, I still took a few fit adjustments mid-construction. There were princess seams to tame (after a six inch FBA, which we'll get to in a second) and whimsical skirt proportions to nip the whimsy out of. The seam ripper got quite a lot of usage during this project. 

When muslining the Elisalex, I knew the skirt was going to be problem. It's all very well and good for wee tiny sylphs to wear Marie Antoinette proportioned tulip skirts, but I was skeptical about how one would translate onto my viking warrior princess build. The skepticism was well placed. My hips would have looked right at home participating in the Albuquerque Balloon Festival. So, for this version, I took four inches out of the length and used a size 10 skirt, instead of the size 14. 

It was still too wide. Thanks to the body of the brocade, those hip curves went out for days. I took an additional four inches out of the side seam curve apexes, after sewing it all up. The result is still a pegged tulip skirt, but one of more modest proportions. I dig it. 

Thanks to all the taming I did on the side seams, I also made the executive decision to do tuck pleats at the waistline, instead of the box pleats prescribed by the pattern. They just fit the new silhouette more. Woohoo for massive structural changes, while working with delicate fabric! 

The other major pattern adjustment was the aforementioned full bust adjustment. There is a reason I don't often work with princess seams, y'all. Namely: the six inch discrepancy between my bust and high bust measurements. An FBA for princess seams is already finicky, but adding three inches to a curved pattern piece turns a pleasant, challenging fix into a Herculean labor. My resultant pattern pieces only resemble their foremothers, in that they are on pattern paper and say "Elisalex" on them. 

My center front (charmingly spelled "centre front" on the pattern) still needs a bit of tweaking, but I was too impatient to sew this up last week. It's just a bit too wide at my underbust, which causes a crease, after hours of wear. One more muslin, it is!

If you have a large bust and are looking to do an FBA on a princess-seamed pattern, By Hand London's own tutorial is a great resource. The only caveat is that it will be more complicated for you. There are extra bubbles to deal with and more lines to true up. By the end, you'll have two pieces that you truly doubt the usefulness of. How can a center front piece need six extra length inches? It will work. You just need to have faith...and perhaps a glass of bracing champagne. 

Or, if that fails, tune back here next week. I'm planning a step-by-step princess seam FBA tutorial for large busts. The whole time I was doing mine, I was wishing someone else had told me what to expect. We'll make sure you're not as surprised! 

Original pieces on the left, my darling monsters on the right.

Once again, I'm not super impressed with By Hand London's directions. They definitely assume that the reader has dressmaking experience. For the box pleat, the instructions literally read: "Form the box pleat now." Which is great and all, unless you're a novice who hasn't formed a box pleat before! If you haven't, a quick Google should sort you out. 

As for the pattern itself, it was a breeze to sew up. It's not something I'd recommend to a beginner, thanks to the princess seams and instructional vagueness, but it's a fun little dress pattern. Elisalex is a very chic, modern design, which is what I'm coming to expect from BHL patterns. They definitely have a bead on what young sewists want to wear! 

The Details...

Things I Loved:

• The fabric! Italian designer brocade. Just the words make me feel a swoon coming on!
• The bodice! Once you fit them correctly, princess seams are so fun to sew up and so lovely on the body. 

Things I Changed:

• Cut a smaller skirt, took in the side seams an additional four inches each. 
• FBA to add six inches at the bust
• Did a hand-picked metal zipper at the back. 

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Not much! Now that the fit is down and I've tamed the skirt panels, this is a fabulous pattern.

Notions & Fabric:

• 18 inch metal zipper
• Two yards of brocade - $48
• One yard of white cotton shirting for the bodice lining - $6
• Cut a US size 14 bodice, with an FBA, and a US size 10 skirt. 

Construction Time:

• Including muslins, eight hours. 

Note: I've switched commenting formats from the clunky Blogger system, to the new and improved Disqus. Woohoo! It should be easy to navigate and loads of other great bloggers have already implemented it, but if you have any issues below, shoot me an email and let me know. 

Miss Ava, Apple of My Eye - Simplicity 2343

Happy National Puppy Day, readers! Oh, you were not aware of this lovely holiday? Honestly, I wasn't either, until this morning. Nonetheless, for your viewing pleasure, Remy, my photo-bombing puppy:

 Remy, the Bichon Who Loves to Sneak Into Photos!

Okay, enough puppies (I know, can you ever have enough?), onto the skirt. During the prolonged torture of my eyelet dress, I broke one of my sewing rules and worked on another project. After all those pleats and darts, a simple pencil skirt seemed just the thing. Simplicity 2343 is one of my favorite skirt patterns, a narrow-waisted pencil skirt complete with faced pockets and a back vent. I've made it once before, in an aquamarine brocade, but never blogged a review of it. It's a skirt I wear all the time on my rotations, as it dresses up well, so another one was obviously needed in my wardrobe.

For the fabric, I knew just what to reach for. Earlier this month, I helped my little sister make her first skirt with some polished cotton swiped from my mother's vintage fabric stash. It's a cheery apple print on a black background, with a perfect mix of bright red & mint green. One of my favorite color pairings! Even better, there was just over a yard-and-a-half left. That's pencil skirt kismet, friends.

Construction was a piece of cake. Don't you love that? It certainly helped me get a little sewing mojo back. This pattern is out of print, but if you can track it down, it's a wonderful piece. There are four small pleats along the waistband of the skirt, then two darts in the back for shaping. Amazing. I'd almost forgotten how easy skirts are to make. What lifts this to go-to status, however, are the pockets. Instead of in-seam side pockets, there are two front faced pockets. They don't add any bulk to the skirt, but still provide a convenient place to put my cell phone.

 Pockets! My fidgety hands rejoice!

I did make one change to the pattern, for the sake of wearability. My brocade pencil skirt bunches and wrinkles throughout the day, which is a bit annoying. To alleviate that, I added a full lining to this version, in a bright red cotton lawn. Thanks to the lovely Alana, from Lazy Stitching, I knew just how to do it. I added two inches of width to the skirt pieces, then gathered them into the waistband, which made the finish both lovely and comfortable. Brilliant!

Color pop!

The skirt is finished with a 7-inch invisible zipper in the back, then narrowly hemmed to hit right at mid-knee. In all, it took me about two hours, from cut-out to hemming. Pencil skirts are such quick, easy projects. I love it! Why aren't there more of these in my wardrobe? Last week, when I wore it with a white ruffled blouse and my beloved green cardigan, the compliments rolled in. One of the best parts of being a home sewist has to be when people ask where you bought something. "I made it myself!" is one of the greatest sentences in the English language, don't you think?

 

The oh-so-exciting details...

Things I Loved: 

• The fabric! I was thrilled that there was enough of this left over from my sister's skirt. I'm such a sucker for a retro fruit print! Plus, any fabric that combines red and green without channeling Kris Kringle is always a win. 
• The shape! Pencil skirts really are so flattering. It sits below my natural waist, but still manages to emphasize that hourglass shape. 
• The lining! Pops of color are always a good addition. Even if no one else knows it's there, it makes me happy.

Things I Changed:

• Added a full lining, thanks to Alana's wonderful tip.

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Widen the waistband. I do love how it fits now, but think it would be a nice change to have another version with a wider, higher waistband. 

Tricky Steps & Suggestions:

• There is an invisible zipper, which can be tricky, if you're not used to them. Honestly, adding a full lining makes it easier to install - you don't have to worry so much about how the inside looks, when you can cover it with the lining. I love a clean finish!

Notions & Fabric: 

• 1.5 yards Vintage Polished Cotton - Free!
• 7-inch black invisible zipper
  

Construction Time:

• Two blissful, stress-free hours.

Has anyone else lost their sewing mojo lately? This skirt went a long way towards getting mine back, but I'm still not all the way there yet. How do you handle loss of creative motivation? With writing, I talk it out with my best friend, but that doesn't quite work with sewing.

Miss Juliet Welcomes Spring: Simplicity 1873

Happy spring, darlings! Just in time for the new season, I've finally finished Simplicity 1873. No worries, I did not drop off the sewing/blogging world. An unexpected trip and some unexpected sewing foibles just have me running a bit behind. You know how, sometimes, a project will try its best to kill you? Well, I don't know what I did to Cynthia Rowley, but she sent this pattern to do me in. If something could go wrong while sewing this up, it did. But - ha! - it's finished. It can torture me no more. You'll have to try harder to get this sewist to give up, Rowley.

Okay, honestly, the issues were mostly my fault. Cynthia Rowley has designed another delightful pattern in 1873. As I've said previously, I'm not a huge fan of her ready-to-wear designs, but her sewing patterns work really well for me. (Witness the million iterations of Simplicity 2215.) This dress is no exception - the combination of that low scooped neckline and the full, pleated skirt makes me a bit weak in the knees. It's the epitome of my beloved fit-and-flare silhouettes. Right now, if I were forced to pick one dress from my closet to wear everyday for a year, this would be it. How's that for pattern love?

Confident in Ms. Rowley's design, I chose a fabric I've been hoarding for awhile - a lovely, soft cotton eyelet from Gorgeous Fabrics. This summer, a sudden desperation to recreate Maria's dance dress from West Side Story overwhelmed me. This fabric was bought with that dress in mind. Of course, autumn came and it proceeded to sit in my closet for six months. When Simplicity released its spring patterns, however, 1873 demanded this fabric. The gentle lines suit eyelet so much, don't you think? The pattern only calls for a bodice lining, but this is eyelet. Obviously, a full lining was called for, unless I wanted to give my classmates an eyeful. So, a nice white linen from Hancock Fabrics was called to duty.

 Eyelet!

Construction was, itself, a terror. I don't know what I was smoking when I cut out the fabric, but the skirt hem was a hot mess. Not a single piece of the five panel skirt (front panel, two side panels, and two back panels) was the same length. How does that even happen? I also, somehow, ended up with a wider bodice than skirt, which I suspect had something to do with my FBA. Luckily, the side seams are hidden between pleats anyway, so my waist finagling is invisible.

Worse, however, were the sleeves. I know what you're thinking. What sleeves, Mary? Well, originally, I had cut out these darling little self-drafted cap sleeves. They were lovely and so very Maria! They were also too small by a good inch. I had forgotten to add seam allowances. My arms, they could not move. As lovely as it is to walk around with one's arms pasted to one's side, I ripped them out. Naturally, I hadn't realized they were too small until I'd sewn the damn things in. Brilliant, Mary, just brilliant.

So, I then proceeded to stare at this dress for a week, debating the sleeves issue. Finally, I decided that I just couldn't face them again. Who cares what Maria's dress looked like? This was mine and it would be sleeveless!

Sleeves? Who needs 'em? I've got a pink belt instead!

The dress then sat for another two weeks, waiting for me to stop doing work, sewing a pencil skirt (which will make its debut later this week!), and having unexpected travels, so I could hem it. Which, considering that wonky cutting job I did, looks pretty spectacular. There was barely enough length to raise it to the perfect just-above-my-knees spot. Of course, as soon as I finished, I loved it. Why did it take me so long to finish this dress? It's lovely. So springy! So versatile! Why, with just some black peep-toe pumps and sunglasses, it's even so very retro! 

Here's lookin' at you, kittens. 

The Ever-Exciting Details...

Things I Love:

• The skirt! Is there anything so wonderful as a full, pleated skirt? Barring chocolate and puppies, of course, I can think of nothing. It just makes me want to swish!
• The eyelet! I am a bit of an eyelet hoarder, it must be said. I buy it, then hold it close, so I never mess it up. It's one of my favorite fabrics - so classic & feminine, which is my style crack.
• The scooped neckline! Perfect for necklaces and balancing out bodice proportions. Hooray!

Things I Changed:

• 2.5 inch Full Bust Adjustment, as ever. 
• Added a full lining, rather than just the prescribed bodice lining.

Things I Would Change, If I Made it Again:

• Nothing! The pattern is, itself, perfect. If I could change the sewist making this dress, I would. Sadly, no one else seems to be lining up to sew my clothes. I'll just have to fix my mistakes, next time around.

Tricky Steps & Suggestions:

• The trickiest part of this pattern is the skirt pleating. It's a bit counter-intuitive, as the box pleats cover some of your seams. Don't worry! That's supposed to happen. For best of luck, clearly mark all those finicky little pleat lines, put on some Kimbra, and rock out while meticulously pleating yards of material. It will be worth it!

Notions & Fabric:

• 22 inch invisible zipper
• White Eyelet Cotton - Gorgeous Fabrics: $10/yard
• White Linen - Hancock Fabrics: $8/yard, on sale
  

Construction Time:

• Three weeks, or twelve hours, depending on how you count.

And my absolute favorite way to wear Simplicity 1873? With a cardigan, of course! Today I wore it with a mint green sweater, black belt, and black shoes...the perfect outfit for the first days of spring.

Miss Millie, Will You Be My Valentine?: Simplicity 4987

Friends, this is an exciting week. Not, as one would think, because of Valentine's Day. Sure, I love flowers and hearts as much as the next girl, but there are more exciting things. Like...vintage patterns!

That's right. I, Mary Danielson, finally made a vintage pattern. Well, mostly. The bodice is vintage, anyway. (We'll get to that.) Why is this such a big deal? Many sewing bloggers use vintage patterns. Between Etsy and estate sales, they're not exactly hard to find. And found them I have. Y'all, I have a ridiculous amount of vintage patterns, but...I've been too afraid to do more than caress their lovely envelopes or unfold their library-scented pages. What if I damaged one while sewing? What if I made one up, only to have it be horribly unflattering? All my vintage sewing dreams would be crushed!

They were not. My first foray into vintage patterns was a success! Hooray! Does anyone have any confetti to throw?

So, what finally made me take the plunge? This week's Sew Weekly challenge and some really fabulous fabric. Since this week is technically focused on Valentine's Day, the theme was red and I had the perfect yardage - this red striped cotton from Gorgeous Fabrics. It's been hanging out in my stash since last summer, when I snapped up it and its black striped sister fabric. How could I resist its pinstripe and bold stripe mix? So interesting! So...striped!

It was a perfect match for Simplicity 4987, a 1963 lovely with a six-gored skirt, bow collar detail, and matching jacket. Of course, I ended up making it with a dirndl skirt and no jacket. Let's be honest. A striped six-gored skirt? Can you imagine a first vintage project with more headaches? I am not a sewing masochist, friends. So, I switched to the nice, easy, no-matching-required dirndl.

 

For the bodice, however, I kept it original. In order to keep the stripes from overwhelming my face, I used a red twill for the collar. Not only does it have the lovely bow detail at the front, but it made the finishing of this dress so simple. Used just like bias tape, it is top-stitched to the bodice, circling both the front and the low scooped back. Isn't it lovely? I can easily imagine it in white on a blue dress, as a lovely Alice-inspired detail.

 Bow-type-thing collar!

Scoop! And horrible, blurred picture! Backs are hard to photograph, yo.

As for other construction details, everything was rather straight forward. It only took me four episodes of Downton Abbey to finish the whole dress, from cutting out to hemming. The armscyes are finished with red bias tape and all the inside seams are overlocked like crazy. Instead of the prescribed lapped side zipper, I took the easy way and used an invisible zip. It was all ready for a night out on Valentine's Day...you know, all romantic-like, eating hamburgers and chocolate pie. I like to think my peppermint striped dress classed things up, naturally.

 The Ever-Important Details...

Things I Love:

• The lovely neckline! After all, that is why I bought this pattern in the first place. I'm so glad it turned out as beautifully as on the pattern envelope!
• The fabric! I've been waiting to use this fabric and I'm so glad it was on this pattern. It really needed that coordinating bit of red, to make it work perfectly.

Things I Changed:

• Switched from a six-gored skirt to a dirndl, because I am easily daunted by pattern matching.
• Switched from a lapped zipper to an invisible zip, because I am lazy.
• Omitted arm facings, in exchange for bias tape, because I do so hate facings.

Things I Would Change, If I Made It Again:

• Keep the original skirt. I'm dying to make this in a solid color, to really take advantage of the six-gore skirt. It seems to have such a lovely bell skirt quality to it on the envelope.

Notions & Fabric:

• Red striped cotton - Gorgeous Fabrics - $8/yard
• Red cotton twill - JoAnn Fabrics - $9/yard
• 12 inch invisible zipper
• Self-made red cotton bias tape

Construction Time:

• Precisely four episodes of Downton Abbey. What, you don't measure your time in Lady Mary/Matthew Crawley scenes? Well, then. Three and a half hours.

There's something about the stripes that makes me pose like a superhero. I swear, 98% of pictures from this shoot involve me putting my hands on my hips, as if I'm posing for a statue. Super Sewist! Seam rip, rip, ripping away! Yikes.