Happy Easter Everyone! Today is the day to finally reveal my Easter Spring Dress 2017.
As many of you already know I had announced at the beginning of this sewing Challenge that I would be making Tracy Reese Vogue 1397.
However, I couldn’t decide on what fabric, a lovely floral pink or rose print blue. So, I left it to you guys to vote.
The Blue Rose Easter Spring Dress 2017
While pink had a lot of votes, blue was the big winner. Which I’m actually really happy because I don’t have a whole lot of blue dresses.
My blue rose dress as I’m affectionately calling this dress is the perfect Easter/spring dress. I am usually drawn to a more bold print and color scheme, I think the monochromatic tones of this print along with the classic styling of the pattern make it a very modest and vintage looking dress.
Vogue 1397
I must admit I am in love with how this dress turned out, but the construction was something else.
The bodice for this dress gave me all sorts of headaches. I knew I had to grade at the waist which worked fine, but the neckline was so wide. I had huge gaping problems and the sleeves set so low.
Speaking of sleeves, while they fit around the arm I had no room for mobility what so ever. I’ve never had a problem with the sleeves where there wasn’t enough room to move the sleeve up or down.
Both the neckline and sleeve issue lead to not one but 4 different bodice muslin (toile) until I got it right.
In the end, I had to adjust the sleeve cap a bit and sew it on with 3/4 inch seam allowance. The alterations in the sleeve helped address some of the neckline problems but not all.
To keep the neckline from dropping I ended up adding about 1/2 inch to the neckline so that it would set on my shoulders and not fall off.
Once I finally got the bodice sorted I worked on the skirt, which only needed a few minor seam allowance changes to accommodate my waist, sigh.
The original dress called for unfinished edges, but I decided to go for a cleaner look by adding a bias tape finish around the collar and sleeves. For the skirt, I used a traditional 1-14 inch folded hem. I couldn’t find bias tape that matched my dress color perfectly so I opted to make my own from the dress fabric. I think the end result turned out lovely.
The last alteration I made was that I did not include the built in petite coat because I decided to wear the dress with my very full blue petite coat I’ve had for a few years now and nothing to wear with.
| Sewing Summary | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | April 15, 2017 |  |
||||
| Pattern: | Tracy Reese Vogue 1397 | |||||
| Version: | Version 1 | |||||
| Size: | 20 graded to 22 at waist | |||||
| Notes & Modification: | 1/2 inch added to bodice neckline Sleeves width was added to by 1 inch and cap adjusted Sleeves are sewn at 3/8 inch seam allowance Front to side skirt sewn at 1/2 inch Side skirt panels are sewn at 1/4 inch |
|||||
| Recommendations: | Be cautious of the ultra-wide neckline as it may need many adjustments. Also, sleeves may need to be adjusted for more mobility | |||||
| Difficulty: | Intermediate to Expert | Ratting: | ||||
Fave Feature
First off I want to say that I thoroughly enjoyed co-hosting the Easter Spring Dress 2017 sew along. I loved all the participation and the wonderful makes.
As for my own make, I think the thing I like, is the color and print. It’s very different that what I usually wear, and yet perfect for this dress.
The full skirt is also a fave feature of mine. Who doesn’t love a good twirling skirt?
Though I must admit I’m not fond of the pockets. While pockets in a dress are typically a good idea, the placement here has them right on the tummy, so putting anything in them, even your hands gives an awkward appearance to your figure.
Lastly, while this dress is a modern pattern, I do like how it has a classic vintage look, which of course the fabric and accessories help to enhance.
Add comment