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Wedgwood blue damask, with brass zips

21/09/2012 12:05 am \ 50 Comments \

A new dressy-wess!  This is dress 109 from the
Burdastyle magazine issue 09/2008, part of the Pattern Pyramid spoils that I had my clutches on for One Glorious Week!  I did manage to trace off a couple more of the treasures within (hehehe) before sending it off on its way to gladden the hearts of
new and eager seamsters….

Brocades and damasks rich in surface texture have been popping up on the runways; and exposed zips have been hot hot
hot for a few years now… so my new dress is fabulously current, ticking two
trend boxes in one neat little package. 
Trendiness doesn’t usually power my wardrobe choices, I tend to do my
own thing….  but it does feel nice
to have something that is the dernier cri every so often, oui?  Oh oui!
above: at left, glossy gold damask at Marchesa; at right; Balmain damask jacket and shirt,  heavily textured Azzedine Alaia skirt.  both pictures from Vogue Australia magazine

The damask from Fabulous Fabrics was a gift to me from Sam, for last
Christmas.  The delicate lace-like figuring
against a rather divine background of pale Wedgwood blue whispers “luxury” to
me; bringing to my mind the type of expensive upholstery that would fit right
into a chic Parisian salon.  I
think it contrasts beautifully against the slightly industrial feel of the heavy brass zips that I used for the pockets and the front opening.  Shimmering luxury and tarnished toughness: together in one dress.  I love the clash.

The dress is completely lined with coffee-coloured
polyacetate lining also from Fabulous Fabrics, and I bought the heavy-duty brass zips in Spotlight, of lengths reasonably
close enough to those stipulated in the pattern.  Initially I was disappointed I could not find zips with pale blue tape
to match the colour of the fabric more closely, but in Perth you take what you
can get, haberdashery wise.  I
counted myself super lucky to find four matching ones! And I came to like the white; how it holds its own; clean
and fresh against the delicacy of the blue and the gleam of the brass. 
The three pocket zips are all jeans zips, and a touch
longer than called for in the pattern, dictating that I cut my pockets all a bit wider.  That long centre-front, open-ended zip is 10cm short, but I opted to not hem my dress correspondingly 10cm
shorter, ahem!  I hemmed the skirt
to my tastes, longer than the zip.  I’m OK with that!
I left off the belt loops, so I can choose to wear it with or without a belt, whichever I so desire  🙂  I like it equally both ways.

The three pockets are all perfectly functional, but
the zip
teeth on those hip pockets are on the scratchy side against my tender skin. And the breast
pocket would look strange with anything bulkier than a credit card or maybe a
single slender hanky inside.  That
one is pretty much purely decorative, although I have completed it to be a
perfect self-contained little pocket. 
I cannot bear fake details in clothes, like zips that go nowhere and pockets with no pocket bags that are sewn shut.  Loathe that.

I liked the instruction to topstitch closely along each side of each seam, and followed it.  A subtle detail, and adds a bit of extra something…

The fabric is gorgeous, but I found
during construction it is the sort that finds snags on fingernails that you
could have sworn were perfectly smooth! 
:S  so I will just have to wear and
wear and wear my dress and thoroughly enjoy it for as long as I can!
Later edit: I added a full-length zip placket to the centre opening… those zip teeth are sharp against the tender tummy skin!

Details:
Dress; Burdastyle magazine 09/2008, dress 109, in a pale
Wedgewood-blue damask
Belt; Country Road, from yonks ago
Shoes; akiel, from an op shop

Pattern
Description:
Fully
lined, sheath dress with high stand-up collar, princess seamed front with a
centre front opening by full-length, exposed, open-ended zip, inseam hip pockets
and single slanted breast pocket all with exposed zip closure.
Pattern
Sizing:
European
sizes 34-42; I made the size 38
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
Yes, in
my opinion the instructions are absolutely excellent!
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
The pattern as is … there was barely any shaping, and when I tried on the basted dress and looked at my reflection in the mirror the words “Easter Egg” popped inexorably into my mind.  I looked like an egg!  Not the image I really wanted to evoke, so I made alterations so the dress skimmed closely to my figure.  I’m very happy with the shape of the dress now, though  🙂
I really love the look of that double topstitching on either side of the seams.
The
instructions on lining the dress are really excellent; an elegant and tidy
solution to lining a dress that I am sure I will refer to for other lined
dresses in the future.
Fabric
Used:
Damask
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
There
was re-fitting aplenty necessary to transform it from a cocoon to a shapely dress …
The instructions direct you to topstitch closely to either side of the seamlines; I was glad I delayed this stitching until after basting all the seams up to check the fit, and I recommend to anyone else to do the same!  
I did
not transfer my fitting alterations to the lining pieces.  Since it is quite blousy on me, there is a bit of extra
wearing ease in there, always a good idea in a lining.
A
minor consideration, but one you have to take into account before cutting the
pocket pieces: since the zips are fully exposed, the length of the zips you buy
strictly dictates the size of the pocket openings.  There were only a few limited zip lengths available to me,
so I cut the pocket pieces in sizes to exactly fit the zips I bought.
I
made the belt carriers, but ultimately left them off.  I thought they made the dress look tacky with no belt, and I
wanted the option of wearing it beltless.
I added a full-length zip placket in underneath the central opening zip… (here) my industrial strength brass zip looked awesome but those teeth are sharp against the tummy skin!  Ouch!
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I
think I will sew this again.  I
know I always say this and then I pounce joyfully onto the next new-and-shiny
pattern to cross my path  🙂  but I do think this will have an encore.  The pattern has classic clean lines and I think has the
capability to change its personality depending on the fabric chosen.  I do recommend this on-trend little
number, if lengthened a tad it would make a lovely smart little dress for the
office.  You just have to locate a
long enough front zip!
Conclusion:
Well,
now that it fits me, I just love it! the high collar, the simple, sleeveless, streamlined silhouette.
The exposed zips are very on-trend and the rich damask fabric I chose
ticks off another trend I have noticed cropping up in high-end designers this
season…

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Mum’s knitted Noro vest

20/09/2012 5:35 am \ 27 Comments \

Anyone familiar with my blog might remember that occasionally I feature my Mum here, and some of the meticulously crafted and beautiful pieces that she makes.
She knitted this vest a few years ago and has up until now resisted pleas to feature it on my blog, typically protesting “oh, no one wants to see this old thing!”
(speechless)
Thankfully she has been persuaded so we can now all enjoy a really good squizz at a really lovely handmade garment …
Mum knitted this vest using Noro yarn and the pattern “Sakiori 1” from the book “Folk Vests” by Cheryl Oberle.
The Noro sections of the vest are stocking stitch, with contrasting moss stitch bands in charcoal yarn.  The long front bands and side bands are made by picking up long rows of stitches along the edges and knitted in vertical rows of moss stitch.  The two underarm side sections are knitted separately.  
Mum also made the trousers she is wearing, using a custom-fit pattern.
Thank you Mum!

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Full Moon, restyled

19/09/2012 9:01 am \ 37 Comments \

Wow!  As soon as I saw the re-styling suggestions in my comments I realised how right you all were… thank you!  I can see now my outfit was a wee bit on the frumpy side.  I guess I was being a lazy blogger; trying to kill two birds with one stone by forcing the two new things; the top and the skirt, together in one outfit and one post when they did not really want to be together… so I have taken your excellent advice to heart.
I agree, the Full Moon top does seem to appear far less weird and look a whole lot better worn with no Tshirt and a little skirt  :))
Thank you again!

Details:
Top; the Full Moon top, drafted from p12 of Pattern Magic 3 byTomoko Nakamichi, various lightweight black fleeces
Skirt; my own design, charcoal jersey knit, details here
Shoes; akiel, from an op shop

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Full Moon, from Pattern Magic 3

19/09/2012 12:13 am \ 22 Comments \

I have made a new …. er, thing.  A top?  Yup, I think I have made a new top.  Maybe it’s more of an experiment than a top really.  One of the drafting exercises exploring how the placement of apertures governs the drape of the circular pattern piece…  from p12 of Pattern Magic 3 by Tomoko Nakamichi; Full Moon.  The companion piece in the same vein is the Crescent Moon top, posted here.

I made it using some more of the fabric stash given to me by my friend C from her late mother’s stash.  Two different black fleeces; slightly different shades of black and slightly different degrees of fluffiness, and I joined smaller pieces together in unobtrusive places to get pieces big enough to make the top.  One of the pieces I used wrong side out since it closely mimicked the right side of the other fabric.

Here is the thing… it may not get worn a whole bunch.  I have prepared myself for no one reading my blog to like it.  It has suffered some knock-backs already: no one in my family likes it.  Actually, everyone loathes it  😀  I put this on the first time a few mornings ago and wandered out into the kitchen… and my mother, staying with us, asked incredulously if I planned to wear this out.  I replied in a small voice, yes… and well, to cut to the chase I have been forbidden to wear this while I am out with my mother!  Yikes!  I can’t believe I’m middle aged and am still wearing stuff that my mother doesn’t approve…  I’m still a fashion rebel, yeah!!

But my feeling is that it is not that bad.   As a top: the pouffiness presents a dressing challenge, true; it is a sihouette that is not particularly figure flattering, which in our body-conscious world translates to not very fashionable, and so is rarely seen.  Except in circles who are really interested in sartorial innovation.  But I think that over-blousiness on a top half can be successfully counteracted by wearing a long and slim-line lower half.
The diagonal drape-lines achieved by skewing the waistband and the neckline is interesting and quite attractive, and I can imagine this concept being incorporated beautifully into a skirt design.
Oh, and btw my skirt is kinda new, to me anyway.  My mother made it for herself but it has shrunk in the wash, so I have inherited it.  I had to take the waistband off and take it in at the side seams to fit me, but I think I can allow myself to wear it since it is handmade by Mum.  The pattern she used is Vogue 8561; the fabric, a stretchy lightweight denim from KnitWit.  Coincidentally, also used inside out!  Cute, yes?  I really like the one lone little asymmetrical, disproportionate shield-of-arms pocket.  That is a very nice detail.
Thank you Mum!

Details:
Top; the Full Moon top, drafted from p12 of Pattern Magic 3 byTomoko Nakamichi, various lightweight black fleeces
Tshirt (under); self-drafted, white cotton jersey
Skirt (made by Mum, altered to fit by me); Vogue 8561, blue stretch denim
Shoes; Perrini, had for yonks and yonks

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‘nother hoodie

18/09/2012 5:51 am \ 19 Comments \

I’ve been on such a sewing bendahh lately!! making loads of stuff for the family as well as myself.   Must be the influence of spring; new growth in the garden and blissfully warm days lend themselves to thoughts of rejuvenating, renewing; everything in one’s life.  I’ve been cleaning out cupboards, sorting through wardrobes, and adding new clothes to our lives…  🙂
Somebody stop me!!
So I’ve made hoodies recently for Craig and for Sam; and Andrea observantly noted that I do have another man in my life; our eldest son Tim.  😀   I love making things for my boys (as well as my girl, of course) but I feel especially super proud when I see my boys heading out in stuff made by me.  Seems more of a stamp of cool-approval.  imo it is easy to make great girl-y stuff, but it is a much bigger challenge to make stuff that gets the thumbs up from a young man.
I used the same pattern copied from an old RTW one; and size-adjusted for Tim’s lanky build.
Tim looks really handsome in grey, and I still had some of this grey marle jersey from KnitWit.  It is the same fabric I used for my clipped wings top as well as my grey jersey lingerie set.  Luckily; the store has had this in stock for months, which is utterly fab since I’ve nipped back to buy just a little bit more twice now!  I cut out all the hoodie pieces of this fabric and got halfway through construction.  Then had overwhelming and crippling doubts that it was all going to be a bit too unrelentingly pale, featureless and boring, and so at the last moment I re-cut the hood and pocket pieces from a khaki/caramel coloured cotton jersey and used these instead.  I bought the khaki jersey from KnitWit as well, last year some time.
The hoodie has a kangaroo pocket, and the sleeves and lower edge were finished with a long folded ring-band using this method.  Tim wanted the sleeves over-long, so the band method is a good way to add length to a sleeve without having to remove the length required for a hem.  

The hood/drawstring-collar was constructed using this method.

I’m really pleased with the two-tone result.  When Sam saw it he asked for a two-tone one too…. so I had to promise that his next hoodie will be like this too…  (sigh)
And: the very last leftover pieces of this pale grey marle cotton jersey was yesterday subjected to a dye-bath…. hehehe;  and I am super thrilled with how the colour has worked out  :))  Results to appear here soon!

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the Wicked Witch of the East set

16/09/2012 11:37 pm \ 20 Comments \

A new set!
I have made a new lingerie set using the very last leftovers from Craig’s hoodie; a lovely soft grey-and-black pinstriped cotton jersey originally from Spotlight.  The bra pattern is KwikSew 3300 (my review of this pattern here) and the undies are McCalls 2772… surprise! my old favourites.  The bikini pattern pieces are starting to get a tad fragile now and I really should trace them off; they have yet to see a lot more use  🙂
I used black underwear elastic, and a black bra closure to match.  The liners were cut from an old Tshirt.  Recycling, y’know! (pats self smugly on back)
When I had finished sewing the set I pondered what to use for decoration; anything black would disappear into the fabric, likewise something grey.  Frilly bits and bobs seemed unsuited to the utilitarian no-nonsense vibe of striped cotton jersey.  I doubtfully plucked these cute little red buttons from my stash and held them against the set.  These had been salvaged from off an old pair of PJ’s.  Once they were there, on; they immediately brought to my mind the Wicked Witch of the East, from the Wizard of Oz.  You know, the sister of the Wicked Witch of the West, on whose head Dorothy’s house dropped from the sky?

source
Hehehe….  I reckon she would have worn a set just like this, don’t you?!
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Macarons…

15/09/2012 5:14 am \ 18 Comments \

I’ve been experimenting with the macaron recipe; trying to perfect it and play with different flavours.  Sorry if all the recipes appear superficially identical, but I assure you there are subtle but important variations.
First up:

Macarons with white chocolate and raspberry ganache

3 egg whites, allowed to sit for an hour
30g castor sugar
5g powdered egg white (if you can’t get it, Pavlova Magic works)
125g almond meal
200g pure icing sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
few drops cochineal

Sift the icing sugar and baking powder and stir through the almond meal.  Combine castor sugar and powdered egg white (or Pavlova Magic) in a separate little bowl.
Whisk the egg whites until firm and stiff enough to keep its shape when you turn the bowl upside down, I prefer to whisk by hand.  Gradually add the castor sugar/powdered egg white mix whisking continuously and vigorously after each addition.
Add the icing sugar/baking powder/almond meal mix in five batches, stirring until mixed each time.  Lastly, stir in the vanilla essence and the cochineal.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking sheet or baking paper, leaving an inch between each round, and let them sit on the bench for two hours or until they have developed a “skin” and do not feel sticky to the touch.Bake at 120C for 6 minutes, turn the tray around, bake for another 6 minutes then remove from the oven.  Slide the baking sheet off the tray and onto the bench; partly so you can cook the next batch, but also the cold bench stops the cooking process in its tracks.  When they are completely cold, peel them carefully off the paper.

For the ganache:  (this ganache recipe found here)
50mL whipping cream
100g white chocolate
45g frozen raspberries, thawed and smooshed lightly with a fork
Bring the cream to a boil, then take off the heat and add the broken up chocolate, let it sit for a minute then stir in thoroughly to melt.  Stir in the raspberry smoosh.  When mixture is lukewarm, spread a little onto a macaron like spreading jam thickly on bread, then stick another macaron on top.

Verdict:

Absolutely delicious!! and these disappeared very quickly courtesy of my family.  But if I am critical (and I am) I think the almond meal was on the lumpy side in this batch… the original recipe stipulates almond flour, not almond meal.  I’ve made a few inquiries and this is not commercially available in Australia but there are ways of making almond meal closer in texture and consistency to almond flour, so I am going to experiment with these next time… 
To make the almond meal more like almond flour; it has to be dryer and/or finer in texture.
So I took a bag of almond flour and baked the contents at a low temperature 100C for a couple of hours, taking the tray out to stir the meal around every once in a while… in an attempt to dehydrate the almond meal.
and made the following
Coconut macarons with coconut white chocolate ganache
3 egg whites, allowed to sit for at least an hour
30g castor sugar
5g powdered egg white (if you can’t get it, Pavlova Magic works)
125g dehydrated almond meal
200g pure icing sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pure coconut essence

Sift the icing sugar and baking powder and stir through the dehydrated almond meal.  Combine castor sugar and powdered egg white (or Pavlova Magic) in a separate little bowl.
Whisk the egg whites until firm and stiff enough to keep its shape when you turn the bowl upside down, I prefer to whisk by hand.  Gradually add the castor sugar/powdered egg white mix whisking continuously and vigorously after each addition.
Add the icing sugar/baking powder/almond meal mix in five batches, stirring until mixed each time.  Lastly, stir in the coconut essence.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking sheet or baking paper, leaving an inch between each round, and let them sit on the bench for at least another hour or until they have developed a “skin” and do not feel sticky to the touch.  I accidentally forgot mine and left them sitting for over two hours, but apparently that is a good thing  🙂
Bake at 120C for 6 minutes, turn the tray around, bake for another 6 minutes then remove from the oven.  Slide the baking sheet off the tray and onto the bench; partly so you can cook the next batch, but also the cold bench stops the cooking process in its tracks.  When they are completely cold, peel them carefully off the paper.

For the ganache:
180g white chocolate
50mL whipping cream

few drops coconut essence
Bring the cream to a boil, then take off the heat and add the broken up chocolate, let it sit for a minute then stir in thoroughly to melt.  Stir in the coconut essence.  When mixture is lukewarm, spread a little onto a macaron like spreading jam thickly on bread, then stick another macaron on top.
Verdict:
Again, voted extremely yummy by the family and they disappeared very quickly!  But I don’t think the dehydrating actually made any discernible difference to the consistency of the almond meal… and the macarons still had a slightly lumpy texture.  So it was on to the next experiment; sifting the almond meal.
Also, a friend mentioned that French pastry chefs age their egg whites for three days, so I decided to do the same…
Macarons with blueberry white chocolate ganache
3 egg whites, allowed to sit covered at room temperature for 3 days
30g castor sugar
5g powdered egg white (if you can’t get it, Pavlova Magic works)
125g almond meal
200g pure icing sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp pure vanilla essence
few drops of blue food colouring
Sift the icing sugar, baking powder and almond meal.  It takes a long time to sift the almond meal and you have to push it through with a spoon but it should mostly pass through the sieve eventually.  Discard the small quantity of lumpy bits that do not pass through the sieve.  Combine castor sugar and powdered egg white (or Pavlova Magic) in a separate little bowl.
Whisk the egg whites until firm and stiff enough to keep its shape when you turn the bowl upside down, I prefer to whisk by hand.  Gradually add the castor sugar/powdered egg white mix whisking continuously and vigorously after each addition.
Add the icing sugar/baking powder/almond meal mix in five batches, stirring until mixed each time.  Lastly, stir in the vanilla essence and the blue food colouring.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag and pipe rounds onto a baking sheet or baking paper, leaving an inch between each round, and let them sit on the bench for two hours or until they have developed a “skin” and do not feel sticky to the touch.
Bake at 120C for 6 minutes, turn the tray around, bake for another 6 minutes then remove from the oven.  Slide the baking sheet off the tray and onto the bench; partly so you can cook the next batch, but also the cold bench stops the cooking process in its tracks.  When they are completely cold, peel them carefully off the paper.

For the ganache:
150g white chocolate
60mL whipping cream

45g frozen blueberries, thawed and then smooshed with a fork
a few drops blue food colouring
Bring the cream to a boil, then take off the heat and add the broken up chocolate, let it sit for a minute then stir in thoroughly to melt.  Stir through the blueberries and food colouring.  When mixture is lukewarm and has stiffened to spreading consistency, spread a little onto a macaron like spreading jam thickly on bread, then stick another macaron on top.
Verdict:
finally; I am completely satisfied!  This batch is the most like professionally-made macarons I have produced…. so while sifting is a pain and the ageing of the egg whites takes, er, ages; I think this could be the way to go.
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Mustard Bandage

13/09/2012 4:24 am \ 41 Comments \

A mustard plaster is of course an ancient herbal remedy for bronchitis, but I have borrowed and blended the phrase, and named my new dress the mustard bandage, since it reminds me of the Herve Leger bandage dresses that have been so iconic since the 80’s.
The pattern is from the 09/2010 Burdastyle magazine, a gift in a recent giveaway from Alexandra Mason… thank you so much Alex!  This is dress 122, the cover dress.  It is a very modern, almost space-agey design, don’t you think?  The dress has no side seams.  Those curved front pieces wrap around the sides to the back and join onto the long, narrow, shaped central back piece.  And I really love the disparate shapes; the juxtaposition of the blocky geometric angularity of those rectangular sleeve bands against the more organic, gently curved, nesting seam-lines on the body; a very visually pleasing effect to my eye and so interesting!

I used a piece of thick ponte knit given to me by my mother; the fabric originally given to her by a lady in her sewing group!  I just love the rich tobacco/mustard shade, a colour that is one of my best.
I finished all the raw edges for stability by overlocking before I started,  and I like how this makes the insides of the dress look.  That excess fabric in the seam allowance in the small-of-the-back (below right) was removed later on; I just included this picture to illustrate how I adjusted for fit through those long vertical seams in the back

The instructions to finish the sleeve bands are vague; and if I read them correctly, seem to result in an unsatisfactory (to me) finish with raw edges showing.  I finished mine in a way that the raw edges would be neatly hidden inside the sleeve band instead.  Described in more detail in my review below, if you are interested  🙂

There is one small issue with the dress, not enough to stop me from wearing it:  Comparative
to the cover shot of the dress; the second seamline falls high, right on my
bustline, and the neckline also sits a lot higher on me.  When I tug my dress down it looks like
the cover shot, but then it slowly and inexorably migrates back up again, all
by itself, like a sneaky puppy-dog onto the couch.  Sure, I am not a petite, admittedly for whom the pattern is
designed, but I didn’t think that would make a difference up that high!  Although, when you check out the shot of the dress inside the magazine (at right), that seamline is sitting at exactly the same point on the model as it does on me.  So (shrug) mmm.  Maybe they just tugged it down real firmly for the model in the cover shot too?  😀
Anyhoo, I don’t know if that says anything about my figure at all, but I don’t really care.  Because:
I feel goooood in this dress!  It is a modest dress with plenty of coverage, and yet it still manages to be sorta svelte and sex-ay.  That’s gotta be a very good thing, right?

Details:
Dress; Burdastyle 09/2010, dress 122; mustard ponte knit
Tights; Kolotex
Boots; di Sempre, from Zomp shoes

Pattern
Description:
Sheath
dress with armhole bands that look like sleeves and avant-garde seaming.  There are no side seams and all the
shaping is achieved through the unusually shaped, curved seams.
Pattern
Sizing:
Burda
petite half sizes 17-21; I made the size 19
Did
it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you had finished
sewing it?
Yes.  Except that the seamlines fall on my
body in slightly different locations, ahem, which could be due to the pattern
being sized for a 160cm tall woman?
Were
the instructions easy to follow?
Yes,
the dress is an exceptionally easy construction; all the seams are numbered and
you pretty much just sew them in order from one to ten.  The second-last step, the instructions
for adding the armhole bands, were verging on being head-scratchingly
convoluted in that manner Burdastyle sometimes employs… and seemed to indicate
that you ended up with a bias strip on view inside the finished armhole band,
which I did not like.  I finished
mine in a way that meant all the seams allowances, including the armhole band
and upper armhole edge seam allowances; were nicely tucked away inside the band,
and hidden out of sight.  Much more
pleasing!
What
did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
It is
such a flattering dress; with an interesting and very well thought out design.
The
pattern is exceptionally well drafted. 
While I was sewing together those front bands I was just marveling at
how well the unusual shaped pieces went together so perfectly and achieved
“shape” with no darting or tucking needed.  So clever! 
The
pattern is sized for the Burdastyle petite woman 160cm tall.  I am 172cm tall which does not put me
in the petite category so I had concerns about how the pattern was going to work
out for me.  My piece of fabric was
barely big enough to squeeze out the pattern pieces, so I could not make any
major adjustments to my pattern pieces, but because it is a stretch knit and
the pictured dress was so long I figured that I could work out any little body
fitting issues as I was sewing it up.  I needn’t have worried though, since it fits just fine  🙂
Fabric
Used:
Ponte knit.
Pattern
alterations or any design changes you made:
I had
to adjust the two vertical back seams to get a good fit for my sway-backed pear
shape; but this was pretty easy.  I
took out about 4cm in total the lower rib cage area and the small of the back,
and graduated out to a fairly narrow hip seam allowance.
I sewed
the armhole bands on my own way, namely the right side of the armhole bands sewn
to the dress in one single seam, and no trimming but simply turned under the
seam allowance of the self facing (like you would a waistband facing) and hand
slip-stitched it back onto the band, enclosing the upper armhole seam allowance
inside the band as well, out of sight. 
My way seemed simpler than the Burdastyle instructions, and ends up with
a neat clean finish.
Would
you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
I
wouldn’t rule out sewing this one again, although I think I need just the one
for now.  I do recommend this
flattering and smart dress to others. 
Conclusion:
I
love this design; very reminiscent of the Herve Leger bandage dresses of the
eighties, with their distinctive horizontal ‘bandage” bands making for a
slim-fitting, body conscious silhouette…
This
pattern is in the Business wear category, and I agree, this would make a great
little number to wear to the office; modest, smart and stylish, not too out-there
but still with unique lines and details. 
I’m planning for mine to be an integral part of the coming Spring party
season; comfortable and easy to wear, while still edgy and interesting.
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