Butterick 5182

I needed a dress to wear for a Valentine's Day Ball that my church was sponsoring so I ran across this pattern and thought I'd give it a try.

 

I particularly liked view B and found a nice mid weight satin in a "unique" color to make it in. I honestly don't know what color it is. It's kinda a mix between mauve, some shade of purple, and fuchsia. I still don't think that quite explains it but that's as close as I can get. I just didn't want the usual red or pink dress. So this was perfect for me.

So here's the finished product.....

Pattern Description:

Lined dresses A, B, C have close-fitting bodice, semi-fitted bias skirt, train and back zipper.

Pattern Sizing:
I used the size 12 on top and  increased to the 14 at the waist and below.
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Yes for the most part!

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes, this pattern was rated "average". I didn't have any particular problems with it. The directions were pretty straight forward.

(My backside is a little fuller than my dressform, hence the wrinkles)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I love the bodice on this dress. This typed of design always works well for me since I have narrow shoulders. And I love how streamlined and fitted this gown was. The fishtail served as a nice touch. It was perfectly formal for the Valentine's ball but not too decadent. I didn't like the fact that the dress was fully lined. I try to avoid this on bias cut garments. I don't like to add any additional bulk on bias gowns.
Fabric Used:
Crepe back satin
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
No alterations were needed after I did a muslin of the top to ensure it's fit. I did omit the lining for the skirt bottom and only self lined the bodice. So I was sure to serge all of the internal seams. I did shorten the zipper A GREAT DEAL. A huge lesson I learned was never to put a zipper in the back of a bias gown. The zipper doesn't lay as smoothly and the fabric is prone to stretching (since cut on the bias) which results in fabric bubbles which I hate. I managed to shorten the zipper (it only extended 4" past the bodice) and I sewed the remainder of the back seam all the way down. This meant that I'd have to put the dress over my head but that was better than the fabric puckers I had when I used the longer zipper. Next time I do a bias gown the zipper will definitely go on the side. BTW, bias gowns should always hang for 24hours to allow for maximum stretching.
Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I would definitely recommend this to anyone who may be interested in it. As for me, I probably won't be sewing this again. I have to many other gown patterns that I want to try and unfortunately I don't get enough occasions to do so.
Conclusion:
I think the dress turned out very well. In my usual fashion I was sewing up until the last minute (I've got to stop doing that). For a one-night-wear dress I loved it. You think I would've took more pics but I only have 2 of them. This pic is a closeup of the bodice. Unfortunately I was a bit hunched over and had the worst strapless bra so my dress bodice didn't wear as well. But I digress---all in all, the dress was beautiful and I got a lot of compliments which is always good :)