In Progress: Butterick 5348 (Double Drat)

Well, folks, the time is swift approaching to pack up my sewing. I had hoped to finish this dress but, it's just not happening. It looks a lot better than the muu muu it used to be, but it's still not right.



Please note that neither the skirt nor the sleeves are at their final length.

I took it all apart. (First I did try making a casing and inserting elastic, but it was too lumpy.) I cut a center back seam in the skirt. I snugged up the waist band taking it in by about 4 inches total. I then gathered both the top and the bodice onto the band and inserted a zipper. Well, in the interest of transparency, I should mention that I first inserted an invisible zipper even though I was fairly certain that it wouldn't work through the seams.



What is jumping out at me now is the width of the waistband. I think, that for it to give me a nice shape, it needs to be about twice as wide. My friend K mentioned this to me, but I forgot it once I got everything taken apart. I could maybe stomach that problem, but then there is this:



Wow, what a bad zipper! I knew I should have hand picked it!

So back it goes. It needs to be taken apart. I need to cut a new waistband twice as wide as this one (this one is the same width as the neck band). Then I need to put it all back together and hand pick the durned zipper! (Then I need to hem the sleeves - by about an inch, shorten the skirt and gather and attach the (hemmed already!) ruffle.)

It's too much for right now. This brings my UFO (UnFinished Object) count up to three. The first is the hoodie that I tried to make for Peter, the second is my cute little charcoal grey wool dress that just needs hemming. Now this. David suggested that I bring it with me on our trip and maybe I can finish it up on his mother's machine. I may think about that, but it still seems a bit too much.

Comments

Anonymous said…
I agree about the waistband. And you might think about taking something on your trip--it could be a good break from all the chaos, and David's mother might even have some helpful advice? (She did make a wedding dress, I hear...:)

Cat
Oh man. We all end up getting caught in these Projects from He!! that never end. Hopefully the break from this one will do you good.
Steph said…
I wonder how much seam allowance you trimmed from the waistband seams approaching the zipper? I trim the hell out of my waistband seams to get the zipper to lie flat without hand-picking.

Though hand-picking is not without its own charms.
Steph said…
Pretty pretty fabric, and I think the dress will be just perfect with a wider waistband. (Sorry for the two comments, I always half-forget my comment and then press publish and remember the other half of what I wanted to say...)

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