This has been in my stash for an absolute age – it is one of the first patterns I ever bought and it’s the epitome of my kind of style so I have no idea why I haven’t made it until recently.
The classic 50s style gives a gorgeous silhouette; with the fitted bodice and full skirt, it’s a dress for office as well as occasions and, going by my first make of the pattern, everything in between.
I had a lot of this cloud print fabric which I picked up on a whim one day after buying half the pieces of Erstwilder’s Care Bears release a few months back and I figured it was the perfect opportunity to try the Betty dress. I wanted something fun to wear along with the jewellery but not too ridiculous; balance style with quirky and I’m sure to be able to pull it off.
I didn’t toile (I’m guilty of being lazy 50% of the time) and the fit was ok…
I will need to decrease the neckline and make adjustments between the bust and the waist where there is excess fabric – hopefully this can be done easily enough by shortening the bodice and bringing in the neckline through a decrease carried through to the bust dart. I’d like to make a muslin before I make this dress again, which will be this weekend if all goes to plan; I think it will look spectacular in this gorgeous black and silver star print jacquard (think party season) that I have been sent by Minerva and I’ve been torn what to do with it – until now.
In the past 9 months I think I’ve become more confident in my sewing abilities – so now is the time to start working on perfecting the fit of my garments and learning techniques that will make them look as if they were made by a professional and not a hobbyist. That’s the aim anyhow; I tend to have trouble with shoulders and necklines so I’ve been recommended to make my clothes smaller and do full bust adjustments (a skill I have been putting off for far too long, especially since I have known that FBAs are inevitable as a DD cup. I said at the beginning of my sewing journey that I wanted something that would challenge me (as a sixth degree seems hugely excessive); well, I think I am finally finding my challenge.
Although my little cloud dress isn’t the perfect fit, I love it enough to want to perfect it. It was a lovely pattern to follow – the instructions were spot on and I particularly loved the all in one facing; something I had not used before. I think I will be immersing myself in Sew Over It garments over the next few months but my first move will be to order the Betty expansion pack as I envision making several variations of this pattern, not least because it’s probably the closest pattern to the style of clothes I bought before I started sewing. One of the things I love about sewing is that it has encouraged me to try new styles; however, I’ll always be drawn to clothing that is reminiscent of the 40s and 50s. Watch this space – Betty will be making another appearance soon!
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