The New Years Dress

Happy New Year, all! 

Ok. So I decided I like the dress. Yay!

It wore it to a New Years party last night and it was very fun to wear, very comfy and stretchy, and very warm, too!

It's Butterick 5533, from the 1930's, made up in cranberry and navy plaid wool crepe. I'm not sure what year, exactly.

I ended up deviating from the pattern, which called for a continuous, lapped CB placket and buttons, and went with a side zip. I just sewed straight up the back to close the slit. Didn't have time to mess with all those buttons. 

The zip worked out great. Because of the nubbly nature of the crepe, the prick stitches almost disappeared around the zipper.

I faced the hem, cuffs and neck with self bias facing. The extra weight around the hem worked out nicely for the drape of the skirt.

And the belt.

And for the neckline, I didn't have a drapery weight, so I used a 5p. Aw, the Queen :)

The belated Christmas dress (that I may or may not hate).

After the quick and easy success of my wool trousers, I thought a dress would be a breeze. I was going to see The Nutcracker Saturday evening, so on a whim Saturday morning, I started in on a 1930's frock, somehow thinking I could finish it in a day. Crazy, I know. 

Well, I actually got pretty far. I gave up a half hour before I had to get dressed to leave. I was one hem and closure short of a wearable dress.

The closure, though. Ick.

I'm not sure what to do, now that I have no deadline to finish (maybe New Years?...). In my speed race, I was thinking of slicing the back open to the hem (currently it ends in a slash that goes into the CB skirt piece) and putting in an easy zipper. The pattern, however, calls for a continuous lap placket, closing with worked button holes and buttons. 

But in all honesty, I don't know if I'm going to like this dress enough to commit my time to all those button holes/loops. I'm not sure what to do now. I could do tube button loops. Not that that is much easier. Not to mention, hard to get in and out of! Or do I close up the back with a seam the length of the dress, and put a sneaky zipper or hooks in the side seam? Help. Opinions, please!!

Well, it's on it's way, I guess. I don't know if I like it, though. It's kind of a weird fabric, which is not terribly flattering on the body. It even makes my mannequin look fat! I might change the sleeves, which may help, since, in general, the dress kind of swallows me up. Maybe the festive little flouncy sleeve on the pattern envelope... Something needs help.

And it looks so chic in the illustration. Haha, I thought this had a chance of being a one day project! Bah!