The red gingham dress

“I’ll just take the bodice from one pattern and the skirt from another, and just make a new dress!”

Oh if only it was so easy.  A valuable exercise in understanding patterns better, and a challenge to customize a garment – to attain the all important perfect fit.  I first blogged this project over here, almost a year ago.

I have made both of the dresses, I would take the bodice from Simplicity 3426 and the skirt from Simplicity 3461, however, one dress has a side zipper closure, the other a center back zipper, and therein lies the problem… So, I cut it out, interlined the gingham, set to… then it became apparent that even with adding some extra fabric at the closure side rather the back seam, it still wouldn’t line up.  Darn it!

I had to step away, for almost a year, which worked out fine, in time with the seasons etc.  So I unpicked the waist band and started again (I had lined the pattern up perfectly first time…) and it seems like this is the season for finishing off projects.

But now, it’s done, I faced the fear and did it anyway…  improvising the fit, and glad for the pattern – which conceals the misalignment of the bodice darts and skirt pleat – phew!

And I know I say this about almost all the dresses I make, but I love it.

Just in time for summer fun!  “Oh is that a thread hanging off?!”  That’s what happens when you whip it on fresh off the machine for some photos.

So, I love it, even though I feel like if it could talk it would give me a stern look, followed with “I hope you learned your lesson!”