Simplicity 4693 finally… finally complete.

Yet another dress finished, I have a backlog I need to photograph and share…  This is Simplicity 4693 in a lovely light weight printed cotton I picked up at Fabric a Brac a year or so ago.  I had been sitting on this lovely dress pattern for some time, I had almost six meters of this fabric, so plenty for another project (or two!) I used it here, for Simplicity 1720.  This belt I picked up at an op shop – I think it is close enough to the fabric print, but I’m not sure if I like this dress with a belt, especially so wide a belt.  The gathered bodice and skirt are a bit lost with the belt, I think those gathers are worth seeing!

Isn’t that just the most lovely pattern illustration you’ve seen?  I had some little problems with this dress…. namely unexpected alterations when I wasn’t around, one of the risks of sewing with small children.  I found Luna had made some cuts in one of the front skirt pleats, the sleeve and skirt hems!  Shock and almost tears, she was a bit worried about it, I see what she was thinking, I often put my garments on my mannequin to clip curves inside and make adjustments, I think that’s what she was helping with.  Heartbreaking none the less!  To repair the garment, as the fabric is prone to fray, I used some iron on facing behind the pleat, and had some colour co-ordinating fabric pencil, I coloured it in and ironed it, hoping to fix the colour.  I had to make the sleeves shorter than I wanted, but the skirt hem was ok, it was going to be shorter anyway.  Sigh.  It’s alright in the end.

Here it is!  Short days and a busy Rob means I don’t get much time to have photos done, one shot and the camera battery went flat, so you’ll have to be happy with photos on my mannequin.  I had some fitting issues with the neckline, it gapes, at the back as well as the front, I made some extra darts at the shoulder back neck line, which don’t look so good, but help the fit.

I made a toile with a slightly different fabric, and cut this out before I learned about the hollow bust adjustment that I need to make for a better fit, this dress has such a wide and low neckline, I guess it makes the fit even more problematic.  I might have to have a bit of a play around with the fit and should have it ready for spring, I do love it and can’t wait to make it again.