Mar 21, 20162 min read

DIY Dress That Almost Didn’t Make It!

Hi Darlings! Happy Monday to you all. Okay you know how I say that every season I clear my closet and really only keep items that I know I can’t replicate or was made from a fabric I truly loved? Well this dress is going to be one of those items I make that I will NEVER GET RID OF! Not because I can’t find the fabric again but because this baby almost didn’t make it.

Ugh! even after 27 years of sewing I still have moments where I want to ball up the project and throw in the trash! Here is what happen… So if you look at the pattern envelope below you will notice that the front band stops below the waist (at the crotch) because the band ends you have to cut slits into the fabric at the CF to fit the band and conceal the raw edge… well I cut too far and after about an hour of trying to rescue it I got it to a place where I felt it would look ok so I kept going.

After I had nearly finished (I only needed to do my hem) I tried my dress on one last time and realized that I hated where the band ended and it was doing some strange puckering thing from my early rescue attempts… It was NOT working for me and I couldn’t let it go. For a second I thought I was going to throw it out of my window after I had spent so much time on it and then my sewing fairy godmother whispered in my ear….make the band all the way down! YES!!!!!! Oh shoot that means I have to take apart this entire damn band on both sides after I made buttonholes, had trimmed seam allowances and clipped corners…. what was going to be left!?

After what seemed like hours of stitch ripping I finally got the bands off and cut around the buttonholes. I then even out the seams best I could and recut new bands for the full length of the dress… I couldn’t believe I pulled it off considering I was working with about 1/4″ seam allowances, LOL but I did and I think I love it more like this.

Pattern: V9077

Pattern Sizing: I cut the 8

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes…well sort of, lol

Were the instructions easy to follow? Considering the amount of pieces and design elements it is pretty easy to follow. I usually do my own construction techniques for collars but this worked really well.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I love the shape and the front bodice inserts.

Fabric Used: I used an amazing crepe inner yellow and emerald green (fabric video haul HERE)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: LOL, read above.

Would you sew it again? YES! Would you recommend it to others? YES!!! and Yes!!!!