Remember the entry where I was wondering if a jumper dress would work on me? Well, sparked by Cidell's dress, and the BWOF September issue, where this was the illustrated pattern, I dove in.

On the plus side, this was an easy pattern to sew. It was also my first fully lined dress, and I was grateful for the (mostly) helpful illustrations.

On the minus, I took it to show my friend, and she remarked - Wow, you are so shapeless. (Grin. It was funny, really.) Also, this dress illustrates why people make muslins. Since I'm petite, I should have taken two inches off the bodice to get the waist in the right place. Right now, the waist hits me 2 inches too low.


Full pattern review here:

Pattern Description:
Fully lined jumper type dress. Zipper in back.

Pattern Sizing:
38-? I made a 38 on top, and graded to a 40 at waist and hip.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
So hard to tell from the fashion photo, but it looked like the technical drawing.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Yes. This was BWOF's illustrated pattern of the month, so there were actually pictures to help. Not really necessary, this pattern was fairly self-explanatory. The only thing that was a little tricky was attaching the lining at the shoulders. I had a bit of trouble, but it was my fault, I didn't follow the directions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
This is a nice, classic style. Depending on the fabric used, this could be corporate or casual. I can't see myself wear this with a shirt underneath, but can see myself teaming it with some kind of cardigan at work.

Fabric Used:
Cheap synthetic crap from Walmart. But it was $1.97 a meter, so I suppose you get what you pay for. (I didn't want to use nicer fabric, since I wasn't sure if it would work or not.) However, it is washable, so that's good.

Pattern Alterations or any design changes you made:
None. But when making it again, I will shorten the bodice by 2 inches or so, to get the waist where I want it. I might also make it a tad snugger.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes, and yes. Its easy, it looks like you'd expect, it has 4? pattern pieces, what's not to love?

Conclusion
I like this dress, even though its a bit Ann Taylor (or worse, Talbots.) I'd love it if the waist was in the right spot, but that was my own fault. I'm pretty proud of it though, it was my first fully lined dress!