Vogue 1182 Kay Unger Design---Pic Heavy

I can't say how happy I was to complete this dress. As most of you know I blogged about how I came to the idea of using this pattern here . So I'm thankful that I was able to get it in time and within a week it was completed and I was able to wear it to church today.

Vogue 1182
Pattern Description:
Fitted, above mid-knee, lined, sleeveless dresses with princess seams, front pleats, large collar, back slit opening and invisible zipper closing.

Pattern Sizing:
I cut the size 12 and graded up to a 14 for lower waist and hips.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
Absolutely, Absolutely, Absolutely!!!

 (the back view....)

 (and my dainty shoes)

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Pretty much! The pattern is rated average and rightly so since it is fully lined. It only has 44 steps and is pretty straight forward! I had a few "moments of puzzlement" when it came to adding the lining to the left and right fronts but after staring at the pictures and reading the instructions out loud (it's amazing how well that works---LOL!!!) I figured it out.

(Inside the dress)

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
It was the shawl collar and the waist pleats that attracted me to this pattern in the first place. It's so regal and sophisticated!  It's also very well drafted and came together relatively easy. There was really nothing to dislike about the pattern.

Fabric Used:
A Floral shantung

(This is what the fabric really looks like up close.)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made a muslin to evaluate the pattern's fit and as a result made the following changes:

1. I noticed the shawl collar was really wide. Maybe it's because I had narrow shoulders but I felt like I was back in my teens when I used to wear those crazy sailor tops. As a result I reduced the width of the collar (both upper and lower) an inch  and tapering down to 1/2" and then to nothing beginning from the widest curved part of the collar to the narrowest. Note: To make the reduction easier, I overlayed the upper and lower collar pattern pieces and cut off the extra on both so the changes would be identical.

(See how wide the collar is. It doesn't appear to be this wide on the pattern pic.)

2. Since I'm shortwaisted (especially in the back) I had to tuck out 6/8" (total 1.5") from the lower and side back sections and taper to nothing at the side seams. That way I got rid of the extra fabric that was pooled above my rear. My small back ( which is 14" long by 14" wide) is the exact reason why it's hard for me to find fitted RTW dresses. The back's of those dresses are always a little longer then mine.

(See the excess fabric at my lower back. The red mark shows where I needed to make my 6/8" tuck)

Outside of those 2 changes I really didn't need to do anything else.  There was one other adjustment that I had to make in my muslin and fortunately didn't need to make in my finished garment. In my muslin I noticed too much bagginess in the front panel of the dress beneath the pleats. To get rid of it I just deepened the seams of the front/front side panel about 6" or so beneath the pleats--you know like if you were doing a curved dart. That immediately got rid of the fullness in the mid section. Again, it turned out that after I made my dress I didn't need to do this. I think the weave of the shantung fabric was much tighter then the muslin.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Probably so!!!! Next time I'd love to do it in a solid---maybe a rich, deep burgundy shantung. But I'm in no real hurry. I think this pattern was perfect for the fabric I chose for my Easter dress. I strongly recommend this dress to anyone!!!

Conclusion:
I LOVE this Dress!!!! It's definitely one of my favorites!!! It's great that it's rated to fit most figure types and is relatively easy to make with such a great end result.

BTW..................................

Happy Easter / Resurrection Day