Finished: Vogue 1595

As per usual :) I was drawn to this Badgley Mischka RIGHT AWAY. I love the Dolman sleeve, slightly pegged skirt and wide neckline. 

 

 I snatched it up in a BMV sale and when I went to cut it out, realized I had the size 6-14 envelope.

Ruh-Roh.

I hemmed and hawed over grading it up or just buying another copy. I decided that I am almost 6 years into my sewing journey and DARN IT! I can learn to grade up a pattern!!!!

So I did a bunch of research and finally went for it. Now, my "normal" Big4 sizing is 14 neckline/shoulder with a 1" FBA which gives me the "size 16 waist" that I need and I usually cut an 18 for my hips. With skirts I've pretty consistently used a 16 front and 18 back. So I did an FBA, slightly graded the skirt a bit more (I gained room with the adjustment as I went right to the hem) and I graded up the back skirt and the waist on the upper back.

I was so proud! 

Once I got the front and back assembled I basted the side seams. I didn't like it. I was so disappointed. And then it dawned on me...it was too big. Seriously. Did it not occur to me that the fact that almost everything I pulled out of my storage bins is too big and therefore I need to adjust!?! It did not!!!! I'm not sure how much I removed because it was adjust, try on...adjust, try on....

Doh.

  

My hem is topstitched because this sweater knit hides it.  Speaking of...I got this from Fabric Mart right after the pattern was released and ordered black tricot to go with as lining.

I hate lining knit dresses. I mean, I like when they're lined but *I* don't like fussing around with tricot. If you were following along on IG (or read my last post), then you know that I sewed the sleeve to the waist of the skirt on the lining. SO annoying but I unpicked it and then...I did it again. But only on one side. I'm pretty sure I almost tossed this dress in the corner at that point.

The zipper is necessary because as you can see, it's pretty fitted. I tacked the lining at the shoulder seams because it kept rolling out and that did the trick. I don't know why I followed the instructions on attaching the lining at the cuff. They have you sew the cuff to the fashion fabric then hand sew the lining to the cuff. I totally would just serge the band to the dress/lining at the same time.

I DID hand sew the lining and dress together at the slit.

 

Because I am me, I bought just enough fabric. Did I think about pattern matching? nope. 

But I did okay without trying to match! (but, of course...because when you TRY, something funky happens! LOL!)

It's such a toasty dress and I'm excited to have it for winter even if it made me mad/sad a whole bunch of times.

It is that time again. Sigh. I will either have crappy indoor pictures or...sort of crappy indoor pictures. And this place somehow manages to get less light than the last place!