Today I finally completed
Vogue 8315. If you follow this blog at all, you know that I selected this particular pattern because of it's resemblance to a particular Ralph Lauren dress that I had been coveting.
Granted, I do not have the hips and chest of a 12-year-old boy, so I will never look anything like that model, but I think the dress makes a pretty good facsimile of the RL dress:
Also, at $4.95 a yard, the $23.00 price tag of my charcoal-colored twill dress is significantly less than the $230.00 cost of the original taffeta dress. Also, my twill version will wear better and be more versatile, since I don't have much opportunity to wear a taffeta dress. My version is also not an
actual wrap dress, but a faux wrap. The dress actually has a back zipper, and the waist tie is purely for decoration. I opted for this because sometimes, when the dresses are not made of knit, some of us larger-busted gals have a tough time keeping wrap dresses closed. By having the dress sewn shut from the start, this way I can avoid "slippage" and the girls will stay put.
This makes for some interesting construction techniques in the dress. For one, the back zipper extends only part of the way up the back, in much the same way that a hidden side zipper does in other dresses.
Because of the placement of the zipper, any collar facing would potentially get caught in the top of the zipper, so the collar is attached in a manner that is more similar to ready to wear garments, without a facing at the back of the neck. The front facings extend only to the shoulder seams, where they are pressed under and slip stitched. Then the inside edge of the collar is also pressed under and slip stitched to the seam allowance.
The rest of the bodice is also nicely finished, with darts for shaping at the bust, and top stitching on the collar, facing, and cuffs. This adds a nice touch that makes the dress look more professional and less "Becky Home-ecky" than some of the other projects that I have made in the past. Also, since the dress is a "knock-off" of a current style, I don't anticipate that it's style will "out" it as being home-made.
I did find, however, that the construction of this particular dress was quite tedious. Between the top stitching, and all the seaming of the skirt with it's twelve individual gores, I ended up going through 2 1/2 spools of thread!! When it was finished the skirt made a full circle.
Part of the reason that I went through thread at such a rapid rate may also be the finishing of the seams.
Because I do not have a serger, to keep exposed edges from ravelling I will zigzag when the seam needs to be pressed open, such as in the placement of the zipper. But, when the seam doesn't HAVE to be pressed open, what I do instead is put a second seam in the allowance, 1/4 inch away from the first seam, trim as close to this seam as possible, and press it to the side. "Nailing down" the seams is a good option for those of us that don't have sergers, but want a more "clean" looking finish than just zigzagging everything. Granted, it's the inside of the garment, so in the end, it doesn't really matter.
In the process of making this dress, I found that the pattern may run a touch large.
I made an unaltered size 16, although my measurements fall in both the size 16 and 18 ranges. Unfortunately, to use both those sizes in cutting the pattern, that would require purchasing two separate pattern envelopes, since sizes 12-16 are in one envelope and 18-22 are in another. Being both cheap and lazy at heart, I bought the 16 and assumed that there would be plenty of room for my hips, since the skirt was flared. Also, my waist was only 1 inch larger than the measurements indicated, and according to the ease chart on the Vogue website, there would be 3-4 inches of ease in the bust, and 2-3 inches in the hips, so I took a chance hoping that there would be some extra room for my "fluff". Fortunately, the ease was plenty adequate to to account for not using the 18. In fact, the dress fits well enough, I suspect that it may run a bit large.
Another thing I found in the process of making the dress was a mistake in the instructions for assembling the cuffs.
The cuffs are constructed flat and then attached to the bottom of the sleeve after the sleeve is sewn. You are then instructed to tuck the seam allowance inside the cuff and slip stitch the cuff shut to hide the raw edges.
But, it would only work the way that they illustrate it if the cuff was constructed in the round instead of flat. Since the cuff is flat, when you follow their instructions you end up having to snip a section of the seam allowance to tuck the allowance into the cuff as directed.
However, once you complete this, and top stitch as directed, the cuff appears as it should according to the illustrations.
However, for the tediousness of the top stitching and the multiple gores, the final result is a nicely tailored, professional looking dress with a bit of a "retro-vibe." In the end, it actually turned out to have a shape very similar to
McCall 5314, but accomplished in a much different way....whereas McCall 5314 has a skirt cut in full half-circles, rather than using gores in construction. Also, 5314 has princess seams rather than darts. But, the collar, cuffs, full skirt, and wrap styling gives a similar look to Vogue 8315. However, the detailing in McCall 5314 is nowhere near as complex as Vogue 8315.
If I make the dress again, I may consider altering the front of the dress to eliminate the waist tie, and construct the dress just as a surplice bodice. That would make for a more polished look. It could also be made in a print for something more fun, but the dark gray twill is very versatile and can be dressed up or down with the addition of accessories, a cardigan, or the appropriate shoes.
Overall, I would definitely place this in the "successes" category.
