Butterick 5212

  I'm so happy this dress came together  because I was sewing on it up until I walked out of the house this morning for church. A couple of posts ago I mentioned that I needed a white dress (the bride requested everyone wear white while she wore silver) for a wedding that would be taking place after our church service. I found out about the wedding and dress code on last Sunday so I had to move fast to pick a pattern, fabric, and complete a dress. Well I did (Thank you Jesus, indeed) and I'm so happy about the end result. Although I've never had any real desire to own, or even sew a white dress, this was a great first time experience. I'm not in any rush to sew another but definitely would love to sew a white pants suit one day. Lastly, I managed to wear it all day without getting any major stains. Hey, with an almost 3 y.o., that's a MAJOR accomplishment (wink)!

   Butterick 5212
 
Pattern Description:
Fitted, sleeveless, lined bodice with gathers in front, pleats at shoulders and side zipper closing. Optional stones or jewels on midriff. A: below mid-knee length.

Pattern Sizing:
I used the size 12 for my bust and graded up to a size 14 for my waist and hips.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Very much so. Sewing this dress was a complete piece of cake, minus my stupid snafus!!!

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The pattern was well drafted. There was really nothing not to like. I loved the fact that the skirt was cut on the bias. Anything on the bias just hugs you body much better!!! I also appreciated that the zipper was on the side as opposed to the back. The back of a bias dress always looks better and smoother without a zipper.

Fabric Used:
I believe it was a peachskin, by the way it felt. I have to look that up to be sure. I know that one side was shiny and the other was matte with the fuzzy feel to it. I used the matte side since the shiny side didn't look as good on my complexion. If I do white, stark white is the best bet for me:)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I made the following changes:
*I added a lining for the skirt. I mean it's white, I really didn't have a choice:)
*I tried to find fancy stones to embellish my dress but that was a nightmare (I'll blog about that later). So I ran across this gorgeous  ribbon with Greek key design. This dress was reminiscent of a Greek goddess so I thought it would be befitting. After fumbling around and my Hubby's input, I ended up with placing it on the dress as you see it.
*FYI: Of course I hung my skirt lining and skirt fabric for 24 hours since it was cut on the bias and needed to stretch out. Hanging for me means pinning the waistline of back and front skirts together and draping over a hanger to hang.

(Rear view. Sorry for the wrinkles, I've been wearing it for the last 7 hours. The upper back wrinkles are part of the design and a result of the pleated shoulders.)

(Close-up on the trim)

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, I definitely will but I have to do it in a print. It's so hard for me to just sew solid colored pieces sometimes. It was even more difficult to sew this dress in white, but it turned out lovely and I'm happy I did.

Conclusion:
Great dress. You can dress it up or dress it down. The silhouette is lovely and it's easy to sew. What more could you want (wink)!