Sew wrong

Aren't we all warned about being hampered by our inner critic?  That nagging little voice that censures us and keeps us from truly soaring?  To be honest, my inner critic is rather laissez-faire, so I really ought to pay some attention when that voice pipes up.  And it wasn't any big, wild dream or scheme my critic was trying to quash. No, it was simply pointing out that this Vogue pattern would not look good on me. But I wouldn't listen.

I bought the pattern. I bought fabric. I made a muslin. I made alterations. I made the dress.  And, oh, that inner critic was right!  This is a young woman's dress, someone with a slender torso and a small waist, someone whose body has not been subjected to decades of gravity.  Because this is how the dress should look, and how it does look on the well-proportioned form I use for my Etsy shop.

The alterations I made did make it fit better, but they certainly made it no more flattering. As you can see here when it's on my actual dress form. All that fabric gathered at the waist, and then even more fabric tying around that — what was I thinking!

Well, I do know what I was thinking:  that it's such a lovely little summer dress with an easy-fitting elastic waist and a breezy skirt that would be a delight to wear.  Alas, after all that work, I will never wear it.  You won't even see a photo of me in it.  And I'm only displaying it on my body double in the service of truth-in-sewing.

In the hopes that it might find use and happiness with someone who has the appropriate figure, I'm putting it for sale in my Etsy shop.

For anyone from Pattern Review who came to my blog for detailed photos of the alterations I made, please continue reading.

Bodice front showing the raised neckline and the
raised armhole alterations.

Bodice back showing the raised neckline and
raised armhole alterations.

Back overlay showing the raised neckline alteration.

Back overlay after shortening, showing the re-drawn tie.

Bias tape with plastic snap on ends, sewn to shoulder seam.