Working on a Sew-A-Long...

...And actually getting somewhere on it thanks to my awesome friend Natalie!


We decided last month, while in the end-of-term trenches, to give Gertie's Crepe Sewalong a try. Last week we met up to search for fabric, and Natalie got some great purple check. I found a 5 yard section of a crazy atomic nautical print in my stash before heading out, so I ended up only shopping for Brian's Christmas pyjama fabric (which needs its own post!). I have no idea when the yardage is from, but it was only $7.99 from the local thrift shop. A huge savings on buying new for this dress. I still need to get something for the sash though, maybe a shiny navy fabric? I was thinking red or green but it might be a bit much.


Today we met up to sew our muslins and work out fit issues. The bodice on this dress is a little short, which is great for me and my high waist. The only things I had to change were the depth and position of the front darts. The grey lines are the original dart placement, and the red ones are my adjusted darts. The side dart was still too high so I lowered it about 3 cm. Now I have to trace the new darts back onto my traced pattern and shore up the angles of the side.

This is my first time sewing a bodice muslin before jumping into a project. It was a lot of work, but I'm thinking it's worth it for the better fit. I've never had the bust darts on a garment be in anywhere near the right place, so this will probably be the best fitting dress I own!