Maybe Matilda: Summer Dress 1: The cow says muu(muu)

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Summer Dress 1: The cow says muu(muu)

I've completed my first piece for my Summer of the Handmade Dress (is it A Thing yet?), and . . . well, wow. I used Simplicity 2262, picked up for a buck at JoAnn during a pattern sale:
What I liked about this pattern from the get-go: see those words up at the tippity top of the pattern? Easy-to-sew? There. I was sold. I haven't done well with using patterns for sewing in the past--in fact, clothing-making in general has gone rather poorly for me. I love sewing quilts (like this one and this and a couple more) but clothes are a completely different matter.

I got to work with some fabric I bought for $2 at JoAnn, and 2/3rds of Serenity later (nothing gets me in the mood to sew like mutant killer cannibals attacking space cowboys 500 years in the future!), I had this lovely number:

What the what?! I made a muumuu! 
I cut the pattern to a size medium, which my measurements should have worked for according to the back of the pattern envelope, but it. was. ENORMOUS. I look like I'm wearing a circus tent. The good news is that my sleeve add-on was a success (inasmuch as we can call a short-sleeved muumuu a success).

As I was sewing, I'll admit, it seemed big, but I had faith in the pattern envelope. While I was working, the less-stupid part of my brain kept saying, "Hold the phone, I don't think we're this large, maybe we should try this bad boy on for size before we get too far," but the faith-in-authority-figures part of my brain said, "No no, everything will be okay! We measured! The envelope says we're a medium!" And all of that ruckus was drowned out by the impatient-let's-get-this-project-finished brain segment that just kept yelling, "Faster! SEW FASTER! WE'RE ALMOST DONE!" Needless to say, it was a noisy party in my head.

So the lesson to be learned from my muumuu fiasco is don't trust the envelope--try it on as you go! And a second, but no less important lesson is you really ought to go see somebody about those head-voices.

But I certainly wasn't about to give up on that hefty $3 investment, so I did some fitting (just put my tent on inside-out and pinned the front and back pieces together where I wanted them to fit, starting at the armpit and pinning every few inches all the way down to the hem) and I think it turned out pretty well:

(I'm not wearing white tights, guys. That is my natural leg color. Jealous?)

Some thoughts on this dress in case somebody out there thinks about using this pattern:
- If you're going to use this pattern, either go ahead and cut it a size smaller than what it recommends for you based on your measurements . . .
- Or at least try it on for size a few times as you go (you know, even if you cut it smaller, just do this anyway. It would have saved me a world of trouble, and I wouldn't have missed the end of Serenity because I was too busy pulling my hair out to pay attention.)
- If I hadn't had to go back and redo everything, it really would have been, as promised, easy to sew--there are only a few pattern pieces, and really nothing tricky to fret over.
- If you need to go back and size it down, do so before hemming the bottom--it will look a lot less sloppy if you aren't re-sewing the side seams right over the bottom hem (I am a lazy, lazy seamstress and was so annoyed at my big dang muumuu I just wanted to get it over with)
- Turns out that adding sleeves is pretty simple! I just used the sleeve piece from another pattern I had on hand (Simplicity 2599), re-cut it to fit my muumuu, and sewed it on.
- I didn't use bias tape to hem the neckline/sleeves/bottom hem as the pattern suggests--I didn't have any, so I just hemmed it the good old-fashioned way: fold twice and sew.
- I skipped the pockets, which turned out to be a great idea since the 5-ish inches I ended up hacking off of both sides would have probably left me with 1/2-inch deep pockets.

One dress down, a closet-full left to go! Here's hoping dress #2 goes a little more smoothly.

37 comments :

  1. Great post, Rachel! Good recovery--the final version looks cute. And, I can't believe how much you look like your mom!

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  2. great pattern, and I love the way it turned out in the end!

    I have too much faith in patterns, recipes, etc, when I should really listen to 'those' voices :)

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  3. final version looks great! you might have been able to make the original work with a belt? maybe...but probably not!

    ps.doing a give away @ http://prettylittlevintage.blogspot.com/

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  4. WOW!!! That muumuu was fabulous!!! :) But really the final product looks amazing. Too bad that pattern sizes aren't what they claim to be. Thanks for making that mistake... now I won't have too ;)

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  5. The final outcome is adorable. I wouldn't have the first clue how to even start making a dress, so you have my total kudos.

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  6. You look adorable! And I didn't just say that because Emily said you look like me, although that comment didn't hurt :-)

    And the dress came out cute - good job! Maybe I will rethink yet again my decision to make a couple summer dresses.

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  7. Wow! I'm impressed. I would have tossed the thing AND ended up bald from pulling my hair out. :) And who DOESN'T love space cannibals vs. space cowboys? Seriously.

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  8. Ha ha! You are hilarious! I have had waay too many of those type of projects myself. Good to know that I am not the only one out there....

    http://mishmashandmore.blogspot.com/

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  9. Nice save! I think it came out really cute and it looks great with the accessories you added! ;)

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  10. The fitted version looks great! Great job on the altering.

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  11. Hahah, you had me in stitches reading this :) LOL!

    It's cute! I'm proud of you(I can be right!?)doing your first dress already!

    xoxo,
    lori

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  12. found your blog on the etsy blog team forum.. your adorable user picture got me! glad you didn't give up on the dress, because the finished product is super cute! great job!

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  13. Soo cute! I love the color a lot. Good job for sizing it down, I probably would have just settled haha.

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  14. so first, hi:) and second I LOVE serenity hahahah (shhh don't tell) and thrird...A-MAZE-ING!! It came out adorable:)

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  15. Wow, it was pretty big at first, but it turned out lovely! I love it belted :)

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  16. It looks great (after your minor adjustments...)! I've found that patterns always need alteration - some much more than others. Great job!

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  17. Fantastic save. I probably would have just given up :)

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  18. Here's another tip for next time you have to take something in. If you are really lazy and don't trim off the excess after you take something in (this only works if you didn't have to take in too much), then, 8 years later when you've had a baby and grown in size in many ways, you can just pick out the seam you sewed to take it in and VOILA! A new dress! Not that I speak from experience, but it didn't even leave needle holes where the seam had been.

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  19. Speaking of patterns...I just made some bunnies with a pattern, and they turned out HUGE! Very cute, but I was expecting them to be a lot smaller. I have made some clothes in the past and needless to say have had to alter all of them. What else are you making?? I am excited to see pictures.

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  20. It looks good now! That was hilarious. Mom could write a whole book on failed sewing clothes attempts. I've gotten a few nice pioneer/polygamist dresses from her.

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  21. I so can relate!!! hate it when that happens. I really want a dress form for that exact reason!
    BTW, the blue looks great on you!

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  22. It looks great! I am so super scared to sew a dress or pretty much everything from a pattern so good for you girl!

    Meet Virginia Design

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  23. Okay, I have to admit I laughed out loud when I saw the first picture. It TOTALLY looked like a muumuu!

    BUT, look at you, while I would have probably cried and been done with it (or taken it to Margaret to fix) you were able to totally transform it. Love it. Nice job. :)

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  24. Too cute! And hey, at least it didn't work the other way...I once made my first ever attempt at sewing pants in my appropriate size and they were TOO SMALL!!! I was so scarred by the event that I have never attempted to make pants again. I'll stick to dresses, skirts, pillows, curtains, quilts, etc. thankyouverymuch!
    :)

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  25. The final version is super cute. I just got a dress pattern that I'm going to try. Here's hoping it goes smoothly.

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  26. I love the revision! Way to make lemonade out of lemons. You are adorable and so is the dress!

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  27. I love this! It turned out so cute!! (And I'm so jealous of your darling hair!!)

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  28. I really liked the first version too-just a bit (well, more than a bit) taken in. But the style is great!!
    And that colour is brilliant!
    Suits you too.

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  29. This came out really cute, after you took it in.

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  30. LOVE the dress. I think the smaller size is much better--lol! Thanks for dropping by Calico and Cupcakes and leaving a sweet note. I am enjoying your blog--so exciting when you find new, good blogs to read! Thanks for sharing your creativity!

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  31. Love it! I'm almost 6 feet, so dresses are always short on me but I've recently started re-fashioning my wardrobe and dresses are definately on the docket! Stop by sometime, I'm a new follower, domesticdeadline.blogspot.com

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  32. Ha! This post was hilarious! My husband had to ask my what I was looking at because I was laughing so much. I am your newest follower!

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  33. K you rock that dress. The moo-moo definitely reminds me of my mom...but that's awesome you altered it to fit and it looks SO GOOD.
    And thanks so much for stopping by the blog and envying my sheets ;)
    Please come by thursdays and join in on the thrifty thursdays when you can! I'm your newest follower. Your blog is awesome.
    Lyssa

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  34. I love your expression- "what? the what? I made a muumuu." Ha that was great. Love that you didn't give up on the dress and were able to fix it. You look awesome, and I say rock the whiteness of your legs. Shoot my legs are white and I'm half mexican, so who knows how that works.

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  35. WOW~!!! IMPRESSIVE! Love the turquoise...you are great at transforming clothes...I need some lessons!!

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  36. The stupid sizing of patterns is what made me stop sewing for myself years ago. At least when I sewed for my kids and stuff was too big, they'd grow into it. Now I just don't sew at all.

    It's awesome that you were able to fix it, though! The dress turned out really cute!

    BTW, found you on Etsy Blog Team

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  37. Haha, this post was fabulous. Made my morning :). The final version turned out really cute! I've got a couple patterns that I bought for myself in hopes of making a few summer tops. I've got almost zero experience with making clothes for myself so wish me luck! I'll be trying things on as I go.

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