I finally got around to hemming Burda 8.2010.128, the “Parisian” dress, and here’s the final product. The temperature today is hovering just above freezing, but worse than that is that it is windy. REALLY windy. So windy that t was hard for me to open my eyes all the way and keep them open long enough for a photo, which means I either look sleepy, as I do above, or like I just ate something really sour, as you can see here:
Now, about the dress. I’m reasonably happy with how this dress turned out. There’s a little more extra room in the back than I like, but it’s necessary ease because of the slim sleeves. There’s maybe a tiny bit too much ease in the sleeve caps (you can see some minor horizontal lines resulting from some tiny puckers), but the upper sleeves, which fit nicely with a little slack when my arms are down, bunch up when I raise them, so I didn’t want to take anything out of them. Overall, the ease in this pattern is weird. I don’t have a good picture of it, but when I’m standing straight, the upper part of the bodice isn’t very fitted. However, when I move my arms out to the sides at all, it pulls across the chest a bit, as you can see above. So, a little loose when my arms are hanging down, and a little tight when I lift them! I think the addition of more ease would make the dress look poorly fitted, but I have to say, it feels a bit like wearing a sloper. I guess this is why you don’t see a lot of fitted dresses with sleeves done up in wovens. If I do this one again, I’m definitely going to look for a fabric with a little stretch in it.
By the way, did I mention that it’s really windy out? Look at me, I’m a unicorn!
I do like the look of the dress quite a bit, even though it’s not the most comfortable of garments. I was concerned about the pleats and whether they would get pouchy in the front, but I think they look fine and don’t give me any more of a tummy than I have. Oh, unless you take the wind into account, which does give me a bit of the five-months-pregnant aesthetic:
Or, even eight months when it catches the skirt just right:
Brrrrrr!
35 comments
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April 2, 2010 at 5:44 pm
Lee Ann
I think it turned out super cute…will be great for cocktail hour or going to the races! ;)
April 2, 2010 at 5:57 pm
JoanneM
Darling dress. Style looks great on you.
April 2, 2010 at 5:57 pm
Victoria Baylor
Lovely dress! It’s quite flattering on you. Thanks for braving the cold weather to provide us with such scenic shots.
April 2, 2010 at 6:03 pm
Liesl
I like the pleats and the tulip look skirt (… the wind was an interesting prop for showing off the shape!) Its a lovely dress that really suits you.
April 2, 2010 at 6:09 pm
Meredith P
Fabulous dress! I must have this (in an exponentially larger size, of course)!
April 2, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Vicki
Very cute dress. But I am worried that you are carrying that baby a bit low.
April 2, 2010 at 7:19 pm
PEHudson
Your work is beautiful. I love the dress – and you wear it well!
April 2, 2010 at 8:07 pm
Alexandra
Gorgeous! That dress has such beautiful classic lines and it suits your figure perfectly. It’s been on my to-sew list since the issue came out. You’ve inspired me to move it up (closer) to the top of the queue.
April 2, 2010 at 8:09 pm
Sue
Really classy dress (note to self: If I make it, don’t wear it on a windy day!)
April 2, 2010 at 8:43 pm
a.
Lovely dress, lovely fabric choice. If the armscye had been drafted a little bigger, ie, slightly more inset, would that have solved the sleeve ease and mobility issues?
April 2, 2010 at 8:53 pm
Julie
Congrats, it’s a girl! (Female babies supposedly carry low and boys are high.) I think you did a fantastic job on the dress. If the horizontal lines are bugging you, maybe make the armscyes smaller. I remember that with armscyes, smaller gives you more room to move (which seems counterintuitive but it works).
April 2, 2010 at 10:11 pm
~buzzybee~
This is such a classy dress – I love it in charcoal with a black bow!
I think you know this but you could reduce the sleeve cap a bit – unpick above where the horizontal creases occur, and trim a bit off the sleeve cap. (sew it first though!)
But if it really bothers you I would try redistributing the ease first – I had this problem on a recent project on one side only, and 1/4″ made the difference!
Love it – might have to find this issue!
April 2, 2010 at 10:16 pm
Helen
Yes, definitely the arscye should be smaller, not bigger, to solve that problem. Search Kathleen Fasanella’s site for the answer to why!
April 2, 2010 at 11:42 pm
Trudy callan
Very beautiful dress.
It sure was windy. I don’t know how you were able to stand the cold wind.
April 2, 2010 at 11:47 pm
Annie
Very, very nice. I had the same issue with the dress being tight across the upper chest. I let the seam allowance out a bit in the front sleeve and it helped a lot. Surprising that we had the same problem since I have such a different body type from you.
Annie
April 3, 2010 at 12:47 am
juebejue
lol! hey, you look pretty good pregnant :) though the taloring of your tummy is a little low ;)
April 3, 2010 at 1:34 am
Constance
Ooh! When I first read you were going to make this dress, I was so happy! I really fell in love with it when I first got the magazine, but couldn´t find the right fabric, so the whole thing was put in the “things I want to sew”-book and forgotten. Seeing how wonderful it looks on you made me realize I HAVE to make this. I love it.
April 3, 2010 at 2:29 am
Jana
That´s not eight months pregnant. That´s giving birth secretly somewhere and than smugling the baby all the way from the park under your skirt…
Nice dress, I would like to see the back too!
April 3, 2010 at 2:33 am
Jo
Windy or not, you look fab in that dress!
April 3, 2010 at 4:47 am
woolcat
8 months pregnant? You’re carrying low.
Very classy dress! I like the idea of doing it in something with some stretch to help with the fit issues.
April 3, 2010 at 5:34 am
Gwen
That’s a great little LBD!
April 3, 2010 at 6:20 am
Stefani Sarah
Thank you for this review Elaine. I especially agree with you on the feeling of wearing a sloper. However, I didn’t find the funny ease issue you mention here. Probably it’s due to my muslin, shirting cotton that has a slight stretch. My real fabric doesn’t stretch though. Oh well…
Thank you again.
April 3, 2010 at 6:58 am
emadethis
The sleeves are lovely on you! That wind has quite the sense of humor, too. But the wind cannot make you or your dress look less elegant.
April 3, 2010 at 6:59 am
Myrna
Sometimes raising the underarm deals with the issues you were describing. You look great in that dress.
– Myrna
April 3, 2010 at 7:47 am
Anne
I love reading your blog. Your clothes are absolutely fabulous. I especially loved the little black dress that you did. Just wanted you to know how much I enjoy your humor.
April 3, 2010 at 8:22 am
UrbanJill
Looks great! You’re too picky. I’ve been wanting to make this one too since the issue came out. Thanks for the tip about using a stretch fabric. I’m going to look for something different in my stash now.
April 3, 2010 at 8:24 am
Nancy K
It’s a lovely dress on you. Perfect for your petite figure. I think that the shoulders are a tad too wide, and that may help the sleeve cap, which looks a bit high. When the shoulders are too wide it constricts sleeve movement.
April 3, 2010 at 9:58 am
heyvix
Please don’t freeze to death while modeling — it will deprive your readers of seeing what you come up with next!
The dress looks amazing on you; love the way the lower half creates a beautifully curved shape.
[And I’m highly entertained by its wind-produced dimensions….]
April 3, 2010 at 1:55 pm
katja
The dress is simply beautiful!
I attempted one sheath dress with 3/4 sleeves and could not move my arms in them. Not that this is a terribly large data set to draw conclusions from (but who needs more?), but I think you may have a point that sheath dresses are better made sleeveless.
Enjoy your dress :)
April 5, 2010 at 1:05 am
Carmencitab
I love you selfish seamstress though I know there is no chance in hell you’ll ever love me back!
I often have this sleeve/ease issue and everytime I do I look at this blog post and think to myself, I’ll try this technique one day… And forget about it!
http://www.fashion-incubator.com/mt/archives/sleeve_cap_ease_is_bogus.html
Maybe you’ll enjoy reading it.
C
April 5, 2010 at 7:14 am
The Slapdash Sewist
Love it! After having made a couple “tulip shape with front pleats” projects I can’t decide if I’m over them because of the whole pregnant factor, but the placement on those pleats looks very flattering. Thanks for the heads up on the armscye constriction!
April 5, 2010 at 8:10 am
amber
Oh, this turned out great! That is an awesome shape for you – I’m especially loving the front pleats; when the wind isn’t messing with them, they are quite flattering. I’m such a sucker for comfort that I typically won’t buy a woven shirt or dress with sleeves unless there is a bit of stretch to it for exactly the reasons you mention.
April 6, 2010 at 2:28 am
senaSews
The dress looks beautiful on you – very elegant and classy! Thank you for the tipp on the fitting issues!
April 7, 2010 at 8:32 am
Erica B.
I like it! I think it’s a great dress!
January 21, 2011 at 7:10 am
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