The Agony of Defeat

I haven't had the heart to blog lately because I've experienced a sewing defeat of epic proportions. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration- but just a slight one.

I've been working on New Look 6909, which I successfully muslined back in December (I think.)

I was using this awesome rainbow pinstripe fabric which I've been hoarding in my stash for several years, just waiting for the perfect project.

Like I said, the muslin was a success. Close fitting, but very nice. Unfortunately, the dress turned out way too tight. Scuba suit tight. I looked like Catwoman masquerading as a trashy secretary when I put it on. The only thing that made it possible to even get it zipped was the stretch factor of the fabric. Sigh...

I was so disappointed. And confused. After all, the darn muslin fit just fine. I used the same pattern pieces, so what happened?

I have a theory. I cut the fabric single thickness to make sure the pinstripes were symmetrical. Not completely matched, but definitely symmetrical. Anyway, I cut on my kitchen table, and in order to do it with the fabric opened out, I had to let some of it hang off the edge of the table. I think that caused the fabric to stretch. When I laid out my pattern and cut, I was actually cutting stretched out fabric. When I finished cutting and unpinned the pattern, the fabric relaxed and the resulting pieces were much narrower than the corresponding pattern pieces. At least, that's my theory.

The dress turned out way too narrow (tight.) Interestingly, the length was not affected at all- probably because the fabric doesn't have lengthwise stretch. I let out the side seams as much as I could, taking only a 1/4 seam allowance. It's almost wearable now. But not quite. The sleeves (long sleeves, not the cap sleeves) were cut with no fabric hanging off the table, and they turned out just like the muslin- with plenty of ease. So now I have a skin-tight sheath dress with loose sleeves that look almost baggy in comparison to the rest of the dress. Not a good look. It's a shame, too, because it's a super cute dress. The stand up collar is adorable, and the muslin was sleek and flattering.

I haven't thrown it away... yet. I might hang on to it for a while and see if it fits better after I get going on my spring/summer walking plan. I'll probably have to scrap the sleeves altogether and go sleeveless.

Will I make it again? Well... I'd like to. I still love the dress and the muslin still fits. I just can't bring myself to do it right now.

In the meantime, I'm working on Burda Style 09-2009-138, which you may remember as the pink dress.

I'm using this black, white, and royal blue print:

I made a couple of small adjustments since the first version: A petite adjustment above the bust, and a little extra length at the waist. I've got my fingers crossed. I really need a successful project after the NL failure.

And in other sewing news, Angie and I are thinking about having a Kyoto Skirt Sew-along.

I've been dying to try a Hot Pattern and this is the one! I'm thinking of using this "linen look" khaki cotton with the red print for the bias trim. You might recognize the print from way back when I used it for my very first Temily.

I love the look of the Kyoto Skirt. It's got the cool yoke seam and the awesome godet in the back, and topstitching! Y'all know how I love topstitching! And did I mention the cargo pockets?!

So whaddaya say? Anybody want to sew along?

Hopefully both of these projects will be successful and I'll stop moping around feeling like a sewing misfit. Stay tuned for a progress report...