
Mostly I like the dress, and it is a great length on me, if it makes me look fatter, then it makes my legs look good!
I am not too happy that the front neckline frill seems to hang lower one side than the other. As all this is cut on the cross like a snail shape to get it to do this, I will wait untill I have washed it to see if the other side drops as well. If not I will fix it.
I don't realy like the sash belt, but without it, as my Husband kindly pointed out it looks like a Maternity dress! Don't you just love it when they are so honest.
He also said there was something wrong with the hem, and that it wasn't straight, well bless him for noticing! This flounced up bit was very annoyingly fiddly for an average competancy sewer. Also the layer of ruffles that sits under the outer one are not long enough to be seen, there is only about a centimeter difference in the length, so it just made the dress look bulky rather than a flurry of different colour ruffles.
However I do like how the neckline sits. I like the little strappy ties on the shoulders and I do in fact like the ruffles on the bottom, although I would only do one contrasting layer, and definately in chiffon. I would leave off the neck ruffle as it is here, and just put a simple ruffle the same as the hem on the neckline, and not bother with the front opening, as it's easy to get the dress on and off without it. I also wouldn't shape the hem up. I would leave it straight. I would also take out a lot of the volume of the dress, and not wear the belt. So There!
However it is very comfortable on, and with a pair of high heels makes me feel very girly, which is what I wanted to feel. My Husband said today that the dress didn't look so bad and that it was growing on him.
I think it's just that I have never worn anything with ruffly bits on it.
I think it needs a wider elasticated belt, and pick out one of the colours to do it in. I will have a look in the charity shops, as sometimes the right sort of thing shows up. Anyway it looks Summery, which was what I wanted it to be.
So this has taken me all week to make, many enjoyable hours and a sense of having something constructive to do. I am almost tempted to cut out the next version of this dress as the above explanation describes, and just fit it a bit more. The dressmakers dummy I bought has made this so much easier. I have realy enjoyed myself. Lifted my spirits thinking of warm summery evenings, and drinking a glass of wine dressed up in the garden, with a few friends and a BBQ!