Style Arc / Mimi G. Maya Dress

I don't have "typical" finished project pics...so you'll just have to take my word that it fits well!  Let's just start at the beginning, shall we?

I knew I wanted to make a dress for this 50th Bday bash we were attending. I don't really have any party dresses -- I have a couple that are suitable for work events -- but nothing for fun.

I went back and forth on this one y'all! I was like, but is it too much for me? I think it's me, but is it ME?? (that has to make sense to someone beside me!)

"But it's pretty covered up aside from the cutout..."
"Okay that front is too low..."
"Well it DOES have sleeves...maybe I can make it an inch longer..."

Then I went back and forth on the size chart. Style Arc tops have worked well for me; I have been able to sew a size 12 with no FBA! And so I ended up tracing a size 14. Why? I don't know why. If I normally wear a size 12 and it's been a minute since I've sewn a SA pattern AND I've lost weight...why on earth...never mind!

I made a muslin, it was enormous, and I had to retrace the pattern in a combo 10/12 (10 for the shoulder, 12 for the rest). :face palm:

Along the way, I decided that I didn't like this pattern. I didn't like how the front seam was almost complete vertical (but it works!).

I really did not like how the back seam was also completely vertical - there's a CB seam, a zipper, but not shaping?? And interestingly, there IS shaping below the zipper to fit the bum.

I almost added a back waist seam but instead of doing a swayback adjustment, I added some shaping to the upper back. I also sewed up the center front seam about 2.5". I needed to wear a bra! Lastly, I did a 1" full bicep adjustment. I was still on the fence on whether this was going to work. It's so fitted! It's so...so exposed!! :-p 

I got excited about it when it got to this point:

And held my breath and said a tiny prayer before trying on the dress and THEN it was love!

Wait! Let's backtrack a tiny bit!

The fabric. I wanted my beloved Telio jockey ponte for this dress. I couldn't justify nearly $40 with shipping and then when I finally decided, what the heck, I was worried it wouldn't arrive in time. I've seen a couple people rave about the Refined Ponte at JoAnn and decided to give it a shot. 1) "My" JA sucks. I avoid going in there (why I have a Club BMV membership for 5 years running!) and 2) My JA sucks and I did not have time to end up in line behind the fleece'ers and quilters. I placed an order online for pickup in my local store.

The regular price is $24.99 (never pay this) and it was on sale for $9.99. I could do $20...Well there was an additional 20% off coupon. It did not work on the website but it worked in the app! Huzzah! So I got 2 yards for $15.98. WIN! (We don't have tax on clothing here and fabric yardage counts as clothing)

It washed well but I immediately felt the difference between it and the Telio jockey. This feels reallll borderline scuba knit to me (I cannot with the scuba knits). It has a tiny bit of a sheen. It is not bad but when it's sitting next to the Telio, you can tell. It's much heavier and spongier too. I probably won't buy it again.

*****

Okay so now I have my pattern cut out in the correct size. I AGAIN am going back and forth --I never hem and haw this much over any project-- on lining for the front. In the end, I used self fabric. Though the fabric is thick, I think it worked well for me!

Because Style Arc instructions kind of suck all the time sometimes, I thought only the CF was lined and thought it was odd that the side front wasn't but shrugged and kept going (I still am not 100% sure if it's lined or not!).

The bodice band and facing are sewn together to the bodice, facing under stitched, then the other seam burrito'd. Nice and clean.

my back facing is off because I sewed up one side and down the other. oy.

The shoulder seam is finished cleanly as well. The only place I'd known this finish was on cowl necks and that's the way I always refer to it...like you sew a cowl! :)

IDK why the back facing and front facing don't match

In true sewers fashion, I finished this dress Friday evening at about 6 p.m. We were getting up at 3:30 a.m. Saturday to hit the road. Oy vey!!!

I bought these teal suede pumps on about 5 years ago for $15 and I've gotten my money's worth 10 times over! I love them!!!

It definitely looked best with heels - didn't work IMO with boots - but, winter. I figured we'd be going car to venue; venue to car and I could survive with some cute tights.

I have to admit...I felt pretttttty snazzy that night! 

Lastly, I have to give Style Arc it's due. I have never, ever, never sewn a mitered corner. I have never understood instructions for them and had pretty much given up until I could have someone show me in person. Well, this pattern taught me. Kinda.

The pattern is drafted such that you fold at the notch and stitch along the line at the included 3/8" seam allowance.

I was AMAZED when I turned it out and got this:

AMAZED!!!!!

And it still took me a few tries to understand what was happening :-p

step 1: hem allowances marked. Short diagonal line is the fold line. Long diagonal that I'm pointing to is the stitching line.

step 2: fold and stitch

step 3: trim, clipping the corner (like you would for any point)

step 4: turn it out (I personally never poke or grab corners. I put my thumb inside, making sure the two edges fold into the space created by the clipped corner, and using my index finger, push it out. Sometimes you have to give it a wiggle!)

step 5: press...

step 6: ooooh la la! admire your fantastic corner!

So now that I can miter corners, I am pretty much a sewing ninja. Yeah so... Ha!!

I have other unreviewed stuff, just sewed a pair of pants over the past few days and will be starting on my In House Patterns mini skirt tomorrow...the Lisette Butterick jacket after that (they're from the same fabric). Then I'm going to sew the ponte blazer from Burda 1/2019.

That sounds like a lot but I have ALL THE FREE TIME! I'll be home alone Friday-Monday so there's going to be some serious sewing. :)

Until later!