I feel pretty

I bought some pink & white seersucker from JoAnn’s, wanting a new sundress. Being pregnant makes me a little extra-warm. I had a style in mind, but hadn’t quite figured out how to best draft it with my pattern software. Then, on a later J’s trip, I saw a Simplicity pattern that was almost exactly what I wanted *and* it was during a 99c sale, so I decided it would be easier to add maternity ease than to completely reinvent the wheel.

Initial alterations:

• Use size 12 through the shoulders tapering out to size 14 for the rest of the dress.
• Raise the neckline 1″ at center front tapering to 1/2″ at the shoulders~past experience and a quick tissue fit proved the pattern as-is would be too low on me.
• Add maternity ease. The skirt of this dress is in 3 panels, with one seam at center back and the other two at side front. On the side/back panels, at the side front seams, I added about 1″ in width and 3/4″ to the waist seam. I added another 3-4″ in width to each side of the center front panel, as well as raising the waist seam up 3″ at center front.

I used a pink & white striped seersucker for the dress and white cotton batiste for the lining (the bodice & waistband are lined). While sewing, I made a couple more changes. I left out the waistband interfacing because I want it to have some give, and I used an invisble zipper instead of a lapped installation on a regular zipper (personal preference, reinforced by what I had in my zipper stash ).

Due to the way the dress was constructed, and lack of an available helper to pin the back shut, I wasn’t able to get an accurate try-on until the dress was nearly sewn. At which point of course I was too lazy to take it apart enough to fix the problems I found!

Last minute fixes:

• Raising the neckline 1″ turned out to be too much, resulting in an unflattering look. I ended up hand basting elastic thread through the center front bodice seam to gather it up and shorten it.
• I was also reminded of why I should have used my pattern software: the armholes were cut too low and gaped. Obviously it was too late to raise them, but more hand basting of elastic thread helped with the gaping issue.

End result:

 It’s cool & comfortable, and I love that the maternity ease is where I need it (in front) and not where I don’t (back & sides). I’m already looking for fabric to make another sundress so I can fix a few things! 8)

Notes for next time:

• Raise armholes, and figure out how to fix gaping (suggestions/advice?).
• Raise the zipper about 1″ higher in back (it only comes about halfway up the bodice, then there is a button at the nape of the neck).
• Redraw neckline again. I’m tempted to trace from Jalie 2005, as that v-neck works very well for me.
• Divide the maternity ease more evenly at the side front seams, rather than adding most of it to the center front panel.
• If I’m not using a stripe (and I probably wouldn’t, for variety’s sake), scoop out a bit of the waist seam on the front waistband (so that it curves up, rather than being straight across).

---