Sunday, November 14, 2010

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.

33 comments:

  1. A beautiful dress and a beautiful fabric. You look fantastic!

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  2. It looks great on you! I just ordered some knits from Fabric.com and thought for long minute about getting that one because of you! I didn't end up with it in my final cart though...too many fabrics that I had to have and it didn't make the cut. I load up the cart with all my faves and then have to make my cuts there...am I the only one that does that? :) It is a fun print though! I think it looks great!!!

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  3. I think it's adorable. Maybe it doesn't rock your world because it's a kind of "staple pattern" in your wardrobe - you do the sexy, elegant wrap dress well! I have a similar thing happening with the cowl top. I really love them (obvs) and they work on me, but they're not as exciting as something novel.

    I do think the print is excellent.

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  4. Such a pretty dress. Very elegant! Your baby girl is soooo cute!

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  5. Very pretty!!! I have some giraffe jersey coming my way.

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  6. Very pretty dress, it looks fantastic on you.

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  7. You look great! A style that really suits you.

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  8. Your dress is beautiful 10,000. I like the fact that you whip them out so quickly. I am calling you dressmaker extraordinaire!

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  9. I think this wonderful dress shows off you which is just what it should do. Great job!

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  10. I love this dress Victoria and it definitely has that "WOW factor" with me! Especially with those goregous earrings!!! Beautiful, beautiful dress and your little sweetie too!

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  11. Congratulations on winning the Denim book on Faye's blog!!!

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  12. I think it's quite pretty! I have a question on your elastic in the neckline - how did you know what length to cut it - did you cut it the length the neckline should be with no distortion (measuring from the pattern or some such) or did you cut it a smidge shorter? just curious ...

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  13. Thanks everyone for all of the nice comments! I definitely feel more fond of the dress! I think KLine said it well, maybe I've become less reactive to the "staple" wrap dress.

    Thanks Myra for the heads up about the win! How exciting, I don't often win drawings:)

    Caroline, I pretty much sewed the clear elastic on the wrongside of the bodice opening, around the neck and down the other bodice side. Clear elastic is pretty taunt and won't stretch much, but as I sewed it I pulled it just a smidgen and sewed it down to prevent gaping or looseness. After I got the elastic around. Then I just flipped the elastic to the inside and top stitched down. So to answer your question, although I didn't measure anything (since I was sewing it attached to the elastic roll, I believe since I stretched it a wee bit it probably ended up 1/2" or so shorter than the neckline--but not much shorter than that. But since I didn't measure it there is no way to tell. Good question. Hope this isn't confusing.

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  14. Victoria, this dress is fierce! Love it I just wished I could whip dresses up this quickly...You have an amazing talent!

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  15. Delightfully pretty dress! You and your little model look stunning!

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  16. I really like this it's just perfect. The print is really nice and doesn't overwhelm the dress.

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  17. What a triumph! It may have been easy for you to whip up, but it looks fantastic. It really suits you and thanks for sharing your technique with the clear elastic.

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  18. From a distance I think it still looks unique because I don't often see wrap dresses in that print and the allover design is very flattering to a wrap. Your dress looks great and your daughter is a cutie!

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  19. Love the dress and the snake print is perfect for that pattern.

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  20. This dress is gorgeous! But, then again, how can you go wrong with a wrap dress? It suits you perfectly!

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  21. You don't think it has wow factor? As soon as you put it on, it has wow factor! YOU are the wow. It shows you off quite nicely. And I love the earrings with it. You look stunning.

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  22. I think you're wrong :) - it does have the wow factor!!! This dress looks stunning and stylish on you and the snakeskin print is lovely, just right for this style.

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  23. I really like this dress and think it looks good on you. The length is not bad. You and I have some similarity in body type. I get the boxy look too with sewn pleats. Sometimes I sew about a inch into it hoping that will create "hips", or better yet, the illusion of hips. I'm looking forward to seeing your corduroy jacket.
    Happy Sewing!
    C

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  24. Personally, I love the streak down the back...just like real snakeskin. It's a very cute dress and I'm sure it works great in your wardrobe.

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  25. Very flattering dress--a wrap dress is never the wrong decision for a special fabric!

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  26. I am a huge fan of knit wrap dresses, and this one looks terrific on you.

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  27. Looks perfect on you. You can really wear a dress like this beautifully. The fit is great and so is the fabric.

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  28. What a gorgeous dress, you look stunning in it!!

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  29. Beautiful. I have this pattern and have just disregarded as the pattern pic does nothing for me. Now that I check out your version WOW. This pattern is now coming out of my stash for 2013. I have a really busy printed jersey I just did not have a not fussy pattern to make the fabric up into. Well now I think I have a pairing. Thank you.

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Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment and for following me on my 10,000 Hour Sewing Challenge:)

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