TOOK A RISK...

...with Butterick 5554 and surprised myself when it paid off.

Mmmmm, you know that I almost always make muslins, but not this time.  The risk I took was in not making a muslin of this dress.  It took a lot of dickering with myself back and forth to make the decision to forgo a muslin this time.  I did trace and alter the pattern at points I thought would make a better fit, like:

• Raise the neckline 1 inch
• Extend the shoulder seams 3/4 inch, that included extending the front and back neck facings
• Added three inches to the length of the dress

I was sure that I'd have to make adjustments in the princess seam bust area, but was pleasantly surprised when I got perfect fit in that area.  I usually cut 1" side seam allowance (just in case insurance) but not this time.  I used I used interfaced poly-interlock for the facings because I thought self facings would create too much bulk since my dress in made from pontederoma.   Even though I added 3" the dress it was barely long enough for my liking.  So I added a stretch lace hem facing and just barely turned up the hem.  I did not like to look of machine topstitched hems so I opted to hem by hand.   Another surprise was not having to use a zipper, yeahhhh!   Things just worked out, and it's a perfect fit!

Please bear with me in showing my work right now.  Since my dresses are planned for fall/winter wearing I'm displaying them via dressform.  I plan on making a collage later when I do wear the dresses. 

I used black pontederoma for the sleeves and base of the dress, and snow leopard for the center panel for an on trend look, both from my stash.  The dress is unlined.

Choose solid black for the back of the dress.

I am so glad that I have a dressform - for what it's worth, but...

  Dressform:  an apparatus used to display completed apparel.  Truthfully, not very useful for fitting purposes,  although we all think it will be.  Something we feel is a MUST for our sewing rooms.  Mine, when dialed to match my measurements has a big hollow hole for a tummy, and openings on the sides that makes the hips appear larger than they should be (a bow hipped appearance).  A structure that seems to always be in my way no matter where I place it in my tiny sewing room.   Objects placed on said dressform ALWAYS appear larger than they actually are.  WHY IS THAT??? 

This is the third fall/winter dress of my collection, and there may be two or three more coming up....