The thoughts, sewing projects, and fabric oglings of a dedicated sewist.

WIP: Elisalex - To Be or Not to Be?

9/18/13
Constructing this dress has led to a lot of ups and downs.  Last week I felt up after getting the bodice/skirt put together and trying it on.  This past weekend I added even more lines to my list:

  • Added piping to neck/back.
  • Futzed around with the sleeve to make sure it was 1.25" larger than armscye.
  • Handpicked centered zipper.
  • Too much separation at center so handpicked again.
  • Not even enough so handpicked a THIRD time.
  • Had my husband take these pictures and fought the urge to just set the dress on fire.




Oh, the wrinkles.  It actually looks okay from the front - no wrinkling.



But, oh, the back.



The dress doesn't feel at all tight and I double checked that the underlining is smooth against the fabric.  It is. After several days of deep breaths and side-long looks at the dress as it cowered on the futon in my sewing room, I think the issue is that the stretch cotton just can't stretch AT ALL even with the underlining cut on the bias.  I also think that the centered zipper doesn't look nice here.  I don't know if it's my application or the fabric (I've certainly had some practice at this stage), but I think I'm going to switch to an invisible zipper.



But what to do about this??? I'm hoping that rear bump/zipper buckle will be fixed by a new zipper.  Not sure what to do about the weird hemline .

Mostly, I'm starting to lose faith that this dress is for me.

Thoughts? Advice? Commiseration?


16 comments on "WIP: Elisalex - To Be or Not to Be?"
  1. Just commiseration. I laughed at your set on fire comment because I've been feeling some similar frustration and its nice to know its not just me.

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    1. Commiseration appreciated! And back at you, for whatever it is that is making you want to set things on fire. I guess this level of frustration means we're stepping outside of our comfort zones, right?

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  2. Well, there's a lot going on here. Is that a pleat in the back skirt? If so, get rid of it by turning it into a dart. If you look at the side seam, it's hanging a bit off. At the waist it is angling to the front. There are some ways to fix this. As for the back, it may be that the two fabrics are fighting each other. Since you are taking the zipper out anyway, see if you can pull the top fabric down and get rid of some of the excess. I know this dress has been a pain form the word go.

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  3. All good ideas, Rhonda. I think I may need to walk away for awhile and come back to this next month. The more I stare at it, I want all of the pleats (front and back) to go. My best bet is probably to do a simple darted, pegged skirt for this dress. But before I get to it I may need a TNT this weekend to bolster my spirits . . . .

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  4. I don't have any advice to offer, since I'm a fitting novice. But I just wanted to say I feel for you - I know how long you've been working on this dress. I really hope you can make it work.

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  5. I know you have the waistline piping already sewn in, but would it be possible to move the zipper to the side? You are almost there with this dress, and hopefully with all the work you've put into it, it will be a dress you will love :-)

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    1. Thanks, Patty! I'm pretty sure I'll have to take the piping out no matter what I do to fix the issues here. At least that is easy to put back in!

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  6. I think the wrinkling is not coming from the zipper but from too much length at the bodice back. On the side view, the front kicks up and the back skirt is longer too. Check to see if the waist seam of the skirt is on your actual waist. To find your waist, tie a string tightly around to waist. It will settle naturally at the smallest area which is where your waist is. It's often higher than you might think. If you have more ease in the side seams, I'd give a little more ease in the bodice there too. That might help.

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    1. Thanks for your eyes on this! I know that the front is at the natural waist (easier to see this when fitting) but seeing the dress through the eyes of others has helped me figure out that the back waist is a little low. I also hadn't noticed the issue with the skirt side seam - so good to have others take a look at your work! Thank you for commenting!

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    2. Wow, I did not know this. I'm going to try it for myself.

      Thank you.

      Cheers,

      Lyric
      http://www.sewlyricallyvintage.wordpress.com

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  7. i've been there too!! i would try an invisible zip and maybe raise the waist up in the back? when i had back bunching on a dress, that helped me out. the process of fixing it was annoying because i had already done the lining and the zip (like you have), so i really didn't want to rip out all the work, but i did, and then it was much better afterward. http://soisewedthis.blogspot.com/2013/02/before-and-after.html and take a break if you need it, don't sew while frustrated!! =)

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    1. I remember the dress where you had these issues! I think that is the next step for me, but I might need to sew a knit skirt today to clear my head for the work . . .

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  8. I say put it away and make something fun and quick. Come back to it when you are fresh. Sometimes I come up with solutions for things once some time has passed!

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  9. can you tell me where you got the piping? I bought the same fabric in Panama City but I live in Costa Rica, so finding good fabric and piping is challenging. So in the end, was it the pattern or the fabric that was the problem?

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    1. Hi - Isn't it lovely fabric?? I made the piping from lime silk muslin I bought at Vogue Fabrics (http://www.voguefabricsstore.com/) and 1/8" piping that I found on ebay. I think the skirt of the pattern isn't a great shape for my body type (I have no hips!) and that the stretch cotton made it a bit more complicated. I haven't given up thought - I plan to return to this next weekend when I am finished with the wedding dress! Thanks for stopping by!

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