Grey Flannel Dress

 

Victory! I wrestled with this dress and I won! It was a hard-fought battle, I came close to defeat, more than once, but I persevered and I got there in the end.

I have been planning this dress ever since I got the fabric from Clothspot, almost a year ago. It is not really a flannel, I don't know what it is made of but my swatch did not shrink in the wash. It has a shiny, knit backing and the front has a nap. It has some drape and is lovely and cosy, soft as anything but it moves like crazy and does not press well / at all.

I have stayed remarkably faithful to my original vision for the dress. I knew I wanted to use the same pattern I used for my navy spot dress, New Look 6968. Version D with the collar and sleeves.

I like this pattern a lot, this is the first time I have ever re-used one of my patterns, and I am sure it won't be the last time I make this one. The navy dress is still one of my favourite dresses. I don't know if it worked great as a muslin because this one does not fit perfectly. It could be because of the slippery, stretchy nature of this fabric.

There are also quite a few things I prefer to change about the pattern construction. Mainly, I don't like the way this pattern attaches the bodice to the lining. The way the instructions describe makes it more of an underlining than a true lining. It says to baste the lining to the bodice pieces and then use a facing. I basted at the collar but attached the lining as a real lining at the sleeves. I hand sew the lining to the zip tape at the end. I machine hemmed the lining to the sleeve hem, then hand stitched the lining closed where the sleeve attaches to the bodice. I also lined the skirt, which the pattern doesn't call for.

I made a size 12 but I have reduced the curve over the hips and lowered the front of the neck. I also omit the darts on the front of the skirt and reduce the bodice darts to fit. I made a sway back adjustment by lowering the back neckline and taking in the shoulder seams at the neckline. I should have raised the waist seam ever so slightly.

I changed the collar, I wasn't sure about that cravat-style knot. I love a Jackie O funnel neck so I made one by drafting my own. Using the measurement of the whole length of the neckline, I added seam allowance and cut a piece 20cm wide x neck width, on the bias. I sewed the edges right sides together then attached the outside of the collar to the outside of the neckline. I hand stitched the inside of the collar to the bodice lining. I didn't need the facings that came with the pattern. I considered it and it could have been a way to conceal the lining and the seam allowances, under the facings. I preferred to put the seam allowances inside the collar, I wanted to add a bit of bulk there. I didn't interface the collar because I wanted it to fall naturally in a roll. I had to stitch it down at the back to make the fold, it was sticking up at a funny angle.

I seriously considered pockets in the skirt but decided that I would be unlikely to make a success of them and they would probably gape. I also skipped finishing the vent properly as it kept catching in the seam and making that back seam even worse than it is now. The hem could do with some more work. It is very noticeable and I would like it to be invisible, but I don't know how.

I am feeling so, so, so proud of myself that I didn't give up on this project. I really wanted to, many times. It would have been so easy to pick up some quilting cotton and make a bright, summer skirt. I did allow myself another project or two along the way, but I made myself keep going on this one too.

When I first sewed the fabric the seams were so badly puckered that I didn't know what to do. I pressed them like crazy but I think that made them worse. I got matching thread and topstitched over the puckers. No result. I purchased a walking foot, convinced that was the answer. Over £40 later, nope. Eventually, I read up on seam stabilising on Gertie's blog and got myself some iron-on stabilising tape. I stabilised every single edge of this fabric. I used Vilene tape in charcoal from Sew Essential. When I ran out of tape, I ordered more. I was not going to be beaten.

It would have been so easy to put this in the back of the cupboard and forget about it for another year, or forever. But I decided that I don't want a cupboard of UFOs (unfinished objects). I kept going and made myself sew just one process per day. Every day, I had to do something before I turned to another project. Even if it was just putting one single pin in. It never ended up being just one pin, but the day I pinned one half of the zip was a pretty minor procedure. It did not matter, every tiny step got me closer and got me there in the end and made sure I didn't give up. I'm fortunate that I can leave my sewing out on a day to day basis. The dining table doesn't get used for family meals - we eat in the kitchen.

I'm really glad I kept going. I still have enough fabric left for a jacket, but I am going to be making a blazer rather than the collarless style I planned. But not for a while, I need a long break after this effort.

Final tally:
Fashion fabric: Clothspot, 1.5m @ £4.95/m + shipping = £8.97
Lining: Clothspot, £5.78
Thread: (half for this, half for future jacket) John Lewis, £1.25
Seam tape: Sew Essential, £7.95
Zip: Mood, £0.60
Walking foot: (half for this, half for future jacket) Brighton Sewing Centre, £21.00
Total: £45.55

Verdict: Yes! (Just)