SEWING FAIL - New Look 6145

This post was written months ago. I was waiting for a pic of the offending dress, but decided against that and am posting without said picture. See related post here.

Pattern: New Look 6145 (2012)

Pattern Description: View B. Loose dress with sleeve and neckline options, and back-zippered closure.

Pattern Sizing: A (8-10-12-14-16-18) I cut a 12 from the shoulders down to a 14 at the hips and 16 at the hem.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing it? No! Human error resulted in a dress that did not fit.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, extremely easy.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I have been seeking a shift dress pattern for a long time and the finished garments I've seen from this pattern seemed to fit my vision. However, I was in denial about my measurements and this dress did not have a chance.

 

Fabric Used: 2 yards multi-color 100% polyester print free from the VA/DC/MD blogger meet-up.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made: Having made an earlier muslin of this pattern I knew I needed to make some alterations. I combined elements from this pattern and one of my tried-n-true patterns, the Grainline Scout tee to alter the problems I felt I was having in the neckline and upper back area. You can see the details here.

As the fabric was extremely slippery, I thought about  using starch to tame it but ended up just adjusting the machine tension. I tried different needles (I started with the recommended 9 but ended up using a size 11), doubled the amount of pins I used, and held my fabric steady in front and back of the needle while stitching seams. A good press afterwards curbed any of the rippling seams that were originally there.

Worst fabric to sew!!

After stitching the seams, I had to pink them as this fabric would not stop raveling.

Well, the dress did not fit at all. I completely got my measurements wrong. I was aware that I gained weight but did not think to take my measurements again. Therefore, the one-inch increase in my actual bust resulted in tightness under the arms and the two-inch increase in both my waist and hips created a tight and strained hip area.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I may attempt this pattern again using my correct measurements. I still want to achieve versions of my inspiration dress (below) in the future.

J. Crew shift dress

Conclusion: What more can I say, it didn't fit (AT ALL) and it was an extreme disappointment.

Part 1: Seeking the Sublime Shift
Part 2: In Progress: To Frankenpattern a Shift Dress