Embracing Colour

I am probably the last person in blogesphere to make this dress.  The truth is, the pattern has been sitting in my collection since last summer while I have been working up the courage to make it up.  You see the problem is that Vogue had this pattern as suitable for my figure shape but everything I have learnt through the years has dictated the opposite.  I had read all of the reviews on Pattern Review and everyone raves about this dress so eventually curiosity got the better of me.

The Vogue 1250 pattern envelope describes this dress as an easy close-fitting dress.  This was my first issue with this pattern.  Close fitting on me is generally fine, as long as it is in a woven fabric and this is not.

Usually with Vogue patterns, and in fact on most patterns, I cut the top to a size 10 and the bottoms to a size 12.  It was not easy to draft this pattern this way because the skirt wraps round with one seam up the back and the front and skirt are attached.  With a little creative drafting I did manage it however before realising that this pattern runs small so I regraded to a size 12/14 combination.  I wanted quite a bit of ease in the hips so this proved to be the best solution.

I chose a lovely rayon knit fabric that I picked up at a manufacturers end of season sale for $6 per metre.  I love this fabric so didn't want to have a failure as I can't get more.  Fortunately this dress is very economical and I have approximately a metre left over from my two metre piece.


This has to be one of the simplest dresses I have ever made, which is a little unusual with Vogue patterns.  I did refer to the instructions but this is not one of those projects that you need to carefully follow them.

After making the dress up and fitting it, I decided that it hung rather like a sack, which if I was honest, I probably expected from the beginning.  This dress does not give the impression of suiting a girl with curves.  I ended up taking out a full 12cm through the waist area and grading out to the hips and back up to the bust area.

It looked exactly like the picture on the cover of the pattern, once finished.   I do have a couple of complaints with the finished dress though.  The neckline is quite deep so I will need to be careful when wearing it.  The armholes are also a bit deep so if I were to make it again, I would make these a little smaller.  The completely annoying trait of the dress is the tendency for the neck facing to flip out.  This will be easily fixed with some strategically placed hand stitches.

It was only after the final try on that I realised that I narrowly missed a poorly placed print issue.  Note to self.....check print placement in future. 

As much as I love the finished dress, I can't see me making this pattern up again.  I think I really only need one of this style of dress in my wardrobe.