A Dress for the Winter

A couple of weeks ago, I blogged about my goal to make three items of clothing from patterns.

Yesterday I finished sewing this dress! Getting pictures of it was a nightmare, mostly involving rubbish lighting and my face. (Anyone else manage to pull awful grimaces when they try to smile on demand?!) But I did manage a few reasonable ones, with help of my family.

The dress is made from a pattern Burda Style 01/2015 issue, style 105:

The magazine included two 'views' - one with chiffon (seen above) and the other with batiste and embroidered tulle.

My goal is to stick to the patterns. I did make a couple of changes, but still within the bounds of 'using the pattern':

1. Reduced skirt length 
The pattern came in Burda style's tall sizes (5'9"+) and whilst I'm around 5'8", I ended up taking about 6" from the skirt, and attaching the frills higher.
The original would have been a massively unflattering length on me ('sack of potatoes' springs to mind).

2. Different fabric
The designs in the magazine use chiffon and batiste in the two different views, with a lining. I used this awesome paisley cotton I found at the charity shop--just over 4 metres for £2.50!
It's thicker than the recommended fabrics for the design, but it's so lovely and warm!

For the frills, I stuck with the recommended tulle. I didn't have enough of the paisley fabric to make frills, but I have got reams of really soft black tulle.


Time Taken
3 days.
I started just before lunchtime on Saturday, and finished just after lunchtime on Monday. If I'd started earlier I probably would have got this completed in two days.


Problems
1. Sizing.
My measurements are spread across 2-3 Burda sizes which means baggy bodices. Good thing I plan to cinch with a belt!

2. Comprehending the instructions.
Some was badly worded and some parts didn't make sense, so I ended up guessing!

3. Frills.
The upper skirt frill ended up too high. At some point I might reattach it lower, or remove it altogether.

Good things
1. Fabric
I love the fabric. It's warm, a great print, and nice colours.

2. Coordination
The dress will coordinate with lots of other things from my wardrobe, which is one of the reasons I chose this fabric

3. It's a dress!
I don't have enough casual dresses. Most of what I have are too short on me and always have to be worn with leggings. Although I put leggings on with this dress today, I could just as easily wear tights with it.

4. Shirring
Through making this, I found a much better method of shirring than I've used before.

5. Leftovers
I have enough fabric left to make a skirt or short-sleeved top.

6. One down, two to go
This is a step forward to completing a goal. Hurrah!

As I accessorised the dress with it, here is a shot of my homemade headpiece. I made it a while ago but didn't have much to wear with it. The dress solves that problem!

Next I may sew a skirt. There are a couple in the same issue of Burda Style that I like.
Alternatively, I may just look through my fabrics and decide what I can make with them... Keep watching to find out what comes next!