When I started this dress, it was hot and sunny every day… and since I’ve finished it, we’ve had nothing but cool rainy days! I finally gave up and took some pics on a cloudy evening… not the tropical shots I wanted, but at least I can blog and move on!
So: The Go Anywhere Dress. I wanted so much to love this pattern! And in the end, I… like it? I had the depressing experience of being too big in the tookus for the XL size, so I dutifully drafted the princess seams a little bigger… which somehow made it huge. The princess seams on the side and back are easy to take in though!
Just for fun, I colour-blocked the side panels with some robin’s egg blue. I think it really helps to break up this busy, bright print!
I wanted a small sleeve to balance the hips without being too bulky under sweaters, so I tried out Gertie’s band sleeve tutorial, which I’ve had pinned forever. Somehow though, I ended up with Star Trek sleeves!
Eeek! I ripped it off, and used the cap sleeve pattern from Sewaholic’s Alma blouse instead. It worked perfectly!
Overall thoughts? I’ll definitely make it again. I think a wool or chambrey version would be nice. It was quick and easy to sew up the main pieces, but as always, the finishing took longer than I expected. To get the princess seams nice and smooth, I sewed a line of stitching along each curve before matching up the princess seams. I find it’s much easier and more reliable that way! I used bias binding instead of facings, and didn’t line the dress… I wanted it to be comfy for summer.
It fits fine, and it is comfy… but I’m so used to having a defined waist that I feel very shapeless! I’m trying to get used to new shapes though, and I’m glad I gave this pattern a shot.
When you sew, would you rather use a tried-and-true pattern or silhouette, or experiment with something new?
Crafting A Rainbow 