You guys.
I love this dress. I know it looks like the most boring thing in the world, and sorry for only dress form photos, but it's wonderful.
I ran across the pattern during a whirlwind trip to Hobby Lobby and snatched it up before anyone else did. (This was the last envelope left in my size.) I say "whirlwind trip" because if you take any other kind of trip to Hobby Lobby you'll end up planning a year's worth of projects and spending your entire paycheck. Whirlwind is the only way to survive Hobby Lobby.
The fabric used is a jersey I bought at JoAnn's maybe a year ago. I remember when I took it to the cutting table and the salesperson had never seen it before. "How pretty!" she said; "Where was this?!" she said. I should have bought all of it, because not only is it beautiful, it is sooooooooooo soft.
Wearing this dress is like wearing a pillow, minus the extra surface area. :)
I was drawn to New Look 6343 because of the cool style lines at the arm. It's simple but adds a little bit of interest. My seams are topstitched in a taupe thread that matches the dark color of the jersey weave.
I made View C, and added a band at the bottom to make it more of a dress than a tunic. I want to wear this during the cold months, so a little extra length was a must. The only change I made during the construction process was to attach the sleeves flat, then sew the side and underarm seams in one swoop, like I do for Casey's button-up shirts. Honestly, I was surprised to see that the directions wanted you to stitch the underarm seam before dealing with the angular style lines - - talk about making a simple pattern much more finagle-y and irritating than it should be.
Overall, I'm happy with this make. I did stretch out my neck binding a little too much, mostly because I forgot that you have to treat jersey more like a woven than a knit. Anybody else ever do that? Ugg.
I debated about adding bands to the 3/4 sleeves, but decided not to. Not really sure why. Honestly, it's probably because I just wanted to wear the dress ASAP!
I will undoubtedly be using this pattern again to make long sleeve and sleeveless versions for all seasons. You should, too! (But do attach the sleeve flat, not as a set-in... it is SO much easier.) A word, though, you will probably want to add some of your own shaping to the side seams. I graded from a 10-6-14 to suit my shoulders, waist, and hips.
My next post will [finally] show you the finished Family Gathering Dress. I meant to do it long ago, but we moved to a different state and then I couldn't find it, which was terrifying. But it appeared last week in the last garment bag left to unpack, so I look forward to sharing it with you. :)
Oh, and I've actually been making lots of things for Christmas gifts. What I haven't been doing, though, is remembering to photograph them before shipping them out. So...oops. Perhaps I'll get some of recipients actually wearing them, but that won't happen until after the 25th. Obviously.
Here's a preview, though, of a material I used for a present...
It's also one of the softest knits EVER.
I love this dress. I know it looks like the most boring thing in the world, and sorry for only dress form photos, but it's wonderful.
I ran across the pattern during a whirlwind trip to Hobby Lobby and snatched it up before anyone else did. (This was the last envelope left in my size.) I say "whirlwind trip" because if you take any other kind of trip to Hobby Lobby you'll end up planning a year's worth of projects and spending your entire paycheck. Whirlwind is the only way to survive Hobby Lobby.
The fabric used is a jersey I bought at JoAnn's maybe a year ago. I remember when I took it to the cutting table and the salesperson had never seen it before. "How pretty!" she said; "Where was this?!" she said. I should have bought all of it, because not only is it beautiful, it is sooooooooooo soft.
Wearing this dress is like wearing a pillow, minus the extra surface area. :)
 |
| source |
I was drawn to New Look 6343 because of the cool style lines at the arm. It's simple but adds a little bit of interest. My seams are topstitched in a taupe thread that matches the dark color of the jersey weave.
 |
| ooh!!! Hello, pretty topstitching! |
I made View C, and added a band at the bottom to make it more of a dress than a tunic. I want to wear this during the cold months, so a little extra length was a must. The only change I made during the construction process was to attach the sleeves flat, then sew the side and underarm seams in one swoop, like I do for Casey's button-up shirts. Honestly, I was surprised to see that the directions wanted you to stitch the underarm seam before dealing with the angular style lines - - talk about making a simple pattern much more finagle-y and irritating than it should be.
Overall, I'm happy with this make. I did stretch out my neck binding a little too much, mostly because I forgot that you have to treat jersey more like a woven than a knit. Anybody else ever do that? Ugg.
 |
| Back view. It falls so nicely around the hips. Yay! |
I debated about adding bands to the 3/4 sleeves, but decided not to. Not really sure why. Honestly, it's probably because I just wanted to wear the dress ASAP!
I will undoubtedly be using this pattern again to make long sleeve and sleeveless versions for all seasons. You should, too! (But do attach the sleeve flat, not as a set-in... it is SO much easier.) A word, though, you will probably want to add some of your own shaping to the side seams. I graded from a 10-6-14 to suit my shoulders, waist, and hips.
 |
| Since it is a looser fit, I just free-handed the curves rather than making a new pattern piece. |
My next post will [finally] show you the finished Family Gathering Dress. I meant to do it long ago, but we moved to a different state and then I couldn't find it, which was terrifying. But it appeared last week in the last garment bag left to unpack, so I look forward to sharing it with you. :)
Oh, and I've actually been making lots of things for Christmas gifts. What I haven't been doing, though, is remembering to photograph them before shipping them out. So...oops. Perhaps I'll get some of recipients actually wearing them, but that won't happen until after the 25th. Obviously.
Here's a preview, though, of a material I used for a present...
It's also one of the softest knits EVER.
