Finished: Perfectly Plaid Peony

It's finally finished!  After 3 weeks, a number of stupid mistakes and a sewing machine breakdown, I have finished the third item in my Capsule Wardrobe plan. The first two items were my denim Crescent skirt and my Nice Surprise blouse. 

This was the first time I've made the Peony - Here's my review:

Pattern Used

Colette Patterns' Peony dress - I made Version 1 with the 3/4 sleeves and a belt made from a different fabric. 

Does it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope?
Yep. 

Were the instructions easy to follow? 
Yes, it's not a difficult pattern in any case.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? 
I was attracted to the neckline in particular, plus the fact it has pockets (the dress, not the neckline - that would be weird). However, now it's made, it is the neckline that I am dissatisfied with as you can *just* see my bra straps on either side (though not in these photos). I am going to make some loops with little metal studs that I could use to hold the straps in place to the shoulders of the dress, like you sometimes see in vintage dresses, but have not yet done this. However the first time I wore the dress I was very paranoid of this issue so will definitely be trying to fix this, pronto.

I'm not sure what the cause of this is. I did make a bodice muslin which suggested that it would be a good, snug fit, but I think I could have done with taking some fabric vertically from the front and back bodice pieces. As I have wide shoulders, I would have been reluctant to do this in case it was too tight across the shoulders. As it is, the fit is comfortable there.

I'd be grateful for any feedback or suggestions on this issue!

 

Fabric & Notions

I used a 100% wool fabric purchased in the Mandors sale just after Christmas. It was reduced to half price at £4 per metre, but it wasn't that great to work with (quite loosely woven so it was a bit unravelly) so I would have been annoyed if I had paid full price for it. I just love the combination of colours - blues and greens with black and grey. I lined the bodice and skirt with a green lining, also from Mandors, which is nice and silky but relatively thick, so feels good quality.

For the belt I was unable to find any fabric in a colour that matched the blues or greens in the dress, so I used a bit of black crepe from the belt I made for my leopard-print Crepe dress last year. The grey metal button was from my stash, it was a Christmas gift in 2012. I used an invisible zip.

Without the belt - Looking slightly like I'm about to start Irish Dancing

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made

I added 1 inch to the bodice and 1 inch to the skirt and am very glad I did because the length is just right on me. When it was finished, I also took in the side seams from the underarms, tapering down to the top of the pockets, as the fit was a little loose. 

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?   

I probably would sew it again, but have no immediate plans. I would recommend it.

 Look! Matching!

Did you use any new skills? 
Matching plaid! This definitely added time onto the make as there are so many areas to match. In the end I am very pleased with the job I did. It's not 100% perfect but it's certainly good enough not  to give you a migraine from the visual disturbance. Also, the construction of the cummerbund was new to me.

Aaaaaand, from the back

What wardrobe gap does this fill?
A winter dress for work.

Cost 
Fabric           £10 (Mandors)
Lining          £3.99 (Mandors)
Belt fabric    Stash
Thread          £1.45 (Remnant Kings)
Zip                £1.90 (Remnant Kings)
Button          Stash
Pattern          Christmas Gift

Total             £17.34 

 Worn with a 1950s metal and fur brooch from a charity shop (blogged here) and brown ASOS brogues (I copied Melizza of Pincushion Treats - I bought them after seeing hers at the Crafters' Ceilidh!)

 

Conclusion
I definitely like it and have put a lot of work into the finish of it, which I am very proud of. The neckline/bra strap thing annoys me though, and it is this which prevents me from giving it the unequivocal 'thumbs up' I expected that I would do. I think I could have made it a little smaller perhaps, but like to be comfy plus am paranoid about making things too tight as realistically, I am not going to get any smaller over time (and don't intend/want to lose any weight) only stay the same or get larger, so I would hate to struggle to fit into it. Overall I am pleased - it's a practical and comfortable dress, and I anticipate that it will be really useful to wear to work. Still a couple of kinks to iron out before I will consider this project truly finished.

I'm going to post later this week about lining the dress, so do check back if you're interested in finding out more about its innards....

K x