a little birdie told me, pt 4: last finishings!

finished!! actually this dress has been finished for weeks but i never had an opportunity to photograph it. so after a little disappointment over my not really a waist stay, i moved on to the other finishings.


a lapped zipper…

some narrow (but not skimpy) straps…

a slip stitched bodice lining…

a hand stitched hem (complete with lace hem tape to keep it all neat and tidy)…

and a long narrow sash to tie around the waist.

how do you like it? i have to confess, i thought i would end up hating this dress.i’m awfully hard on myself for the littlest mistakes. the failed “waist stay” and after all that fitting i did early on it’s still a little loose in the bodice. my initial thought was that the dress was hopelessly ruined and i would never wear it!

i know, it’s silly. but after not looking at the dress for a couple weeks then putting it back on this morning to take pictures i realized how utterly ridiculous i was being. yes, it’s a little looser than i intended. but hey, now i have a dress that i can confidently look great in even on fat days!

and really, what’s better than that? when i use this pattern again i’ll bring it in 1/2″-1″. but realistically i’ll be wearing this particular dress when i’m toting the kids along, not going to some formal occasion. and nothing is worse than trying to bend over to pick up a 2-yr old and being afraid of splitting a seam or busting a zipper in the process!

final thoughts on the pattern and dress:

i absolutely adore the dress and will definitely wear it often! the slight changes i made to the pattern style really made an impact on the overall look of the dress. it just wouldn’t be the same without the sweetheart neckline and piping, i think. and how much do you love this fabric? i’m so glad i decided to make this one last summer dress!

my only complaint is how huge the pattern was for the size chart. i could have gone down two sizes to begin with! for a fitted bodice (with a strapless option, no less!!!) i would expect the pattern to have a much closer fit. i know i’m pretty narrow on top and have come to expect to make certain alterations but this one just seemed most extreme! if you are looking for a princess seamed bodice pattern as a starting point (and have a smaller than c cup chest), i couldn’t recommend this pattern. there are a hundred others to choose from, and hopefully one with a better fit!


however, having a basic princess seamed bodice pattern is a must for any sewist and i’ll continue to refine the fit of the pattern for future dresses. it’s a simple thing to switch out the skirt for something more voluminous or straight or pleated or circle or tiered and to add various embellishments to the bodice. the options are endless. this type of bodice is a staple that will show up over and over again in my sewing. having well fitting patterns in your stash are truly the key to sewing freedom and eliminate the need to run out to buy a pattern every time you want to make a new dress!

a little birdie told me, pt 1

a little birdie told me, pt 2
a little birdie told me, pt 3