Butterick 5546--- Snakeskin Dress

I wanted a quickie project to complete in the midst of working on my corduroy jacket (detailed in the last 2 posts). So it turns out this dress sufficed. I'm still on the fence about the results of this dress. I think it turned out nice but it didn't have the WOW factored that I had hoped. As great as the fabric is (snakeskin print) I don't think it's that obvious from a distance. Either way it's a cute wrap dress and a great quickie project. Here are the details........

Butterick 5546

Pattern Description:
Close-fitting dresses A, B have wrap fronts, front tucks, front and back pleats, self-ties, A-line skirt and sleeve variations. Three-quarter length sleeves, length is 2" above mid-knee

Pattern Sizing:
I cut the size 12

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?
Pretty much! There was only one page of instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
I loved the design features of the pattern. I needed a really simple pattern to show off some sexy knit fabric I recently bought. The only thing that make me feel a little uneasy were the pleats in the skirt. I was a little nervous they would make me look somewhat boxy. I'm tall but shortwaisted, so it doesn't take too much to achieve that affect. I ended up having to adjust those which I will detail below.

(I didn't notice the dark strip on my backside until now. I guess that was the variation in the snakeskin print. Funny how I manage to cut it in the same place for bodice and skirt.

Fabric Used:
I used a knit composed of rayon, polyester, and lycra. It feels just heavenly and feels so soft (thanks to the rayon) yet it can retain it's shape and is wrinkle resistant (thanks lycra & polyester).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
I surprisingly didn't make too many changes.
1. I definitely added clear elastic to the entire neckline, running it from the low bodice around the neck and down to the other bodice side. The knit I had wasn't too stable and being that the dress was already low cut, I couldn't afford having any "malfunctions" in that area.....if you get me drift.

2. I also used clear elastic to stabilize the shoulder seams.

3. I ended up taking out part of the pleats in the front and back. It turns out that my uneasiness about the pleats was warranted. I sewed the dress as instructed which includes creating the pleat and sewing down two parts of the pleat which is visible on the front side of the garment. After trying on the dress I realized the sewn down sections made the dress look boxy on me. So I picked out the sewn down pleats in the front and back, of course leaving the pleats in the seamline. So this, in my opinion changed the look of the dress and made it more flattering on me.

4. I should have lengthened the dress some more but ran out of fabric. I was able to tack on an extra 1/2" which made it touch the base of my knee---which was ok (an extra inch or so would have been better). I sewed a narrow hem to preserve some of the length. If you're pretty tall this dress will be somewhat short on you. I wore it to church today and was able to style it with tights and Mary Janes so I was able to get away with the shorter length.

 

(Of course someone had to jump into the picture!)

5. I took off the 5'8" seam allowance off of the back bodice piece and instead cut it on the fold.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes and Yes! Again it's a great little staple pattern!
Conclusion:
Great dress! Easy to sew and very flattering.

Ok there you have it! The interruption is over.....time to get back to work on the corduroy jacket.