Thursday, May 16, 2013

Me Made May 2013: For Real This Time with Neon Green

Now this is a dress I absolutely started and "completed" for MMM'13.


My friends, I did say that I'm not a sewer.
My issues here are compounded by the fact that
1) I like to learn as I go.
2) I'm impatient.
3) I strongly dislike anything at all that I view as wasting my time.

So, this dress was made by eyeballing up a dress I purchased and very much like.

My problem with this dress is the skirt.  I likely should have flared it out just a bit near the bottom edge, so that it's much more flowy and less.... almost pencil skirt like.

I'm thinking I can either accept this dress as-is and wear it out in public shamefully. Paranoid. Always thinking people are pitying me and my lack of the skillz.

OR

I can attempt a fix.
I have a very limited amount of fabric left (almost a metre). Maybe I can slit up the side hems and add a panel on each side? Add width to the skirt?
Or, would this be a disaster/waste of time/no help at all?

For all my sewing peeps out there: what do you think?

ps: wearing neon green is amazingsauce.

10 comments:

Michelle said...

I have almost no sewing skills. One look at that sheer, billowy fabric and I'd be searching for one ready made online. But I admire the way you tackle new things. And though I know very little about the process, I think it looks great as is.

ChrisC said...

Hmm . . . I think in that kind of fabric, trying to add panels at the seams is just going to look odd -- it's not going to give you the flowy look you want. I don't think the skirt looks bad, actually. If it were me, I'd actually adjust the top instead. Bring in the shoulders a bit, and make it a bit narrower (is it gapping under the arms?). If you make the top a bit narrower / more fitted, the skirt will seem fuller in comparison

Julie said...

I'm not big on sewing, but appreciate the skillz of others. You are dead right- that neon green is amazing, and looks So good on you! It's a great dress.

Unknown said...

First, I think you are worrying without purpose about the skirt. It's both cute and fashionable. I'll second ChrisC in saying that adding panels is unlikely to give you a look you like--it will most likely look like an attempt to patch a problem.

I think ChrisC also has a good point about wanting to making the top a little more fitted around the underarms. I'd probably recommend small darts to close up the little gap that happens because our armpits require less fabric than our busts. I don't think the shoulders *need* to come in, but it might be worth considering adding a contrast trim to the neckline to draw the eye up to the part of the dress you like better. Maybe a little bit of knitted lace, if you want a challenge? You could also add trim to the waist if you want to define the separation between bodice and skirt, but I don't think it's necessary.

Really, though, I don't think your sewing skills are as lacking as you think. You've successfully copied a dress without using a pattern and managed to get all the bits sewn together in the right places--that's pretty impressive, really!

Elena Knits said...

I think it looks fine, but I would add a belt, maybe made with the same fabric and some fusible interfacing. The skirt looks fine, but if you have a meter you can always rip it up and make a new one. You can gather it at the waist. Or do a half circle skirt. You could have almost enough fabric and they look gorgeous.

Hilary said...

I unfortunately have no tips, but I really think the skirt is cute as is! I don't think it's so fitted as to be pencil-skirt-y, and it really looks like it's supposed to be how it is. It's a very, VERY cute dress and the neon green rocks!

Elizabeth said...

I think it looks just adorbs and no one (but you) would be able to tell it's not exactly what you wanted. Super cute, and you rock that neon green!

Sampras_5 said...

You are crazy and ridiculously talented! :) it looks amazing!

Cleo said...

I'd just leave it the way it is. i have no sewing skills at all but it looks nice like that.

Susan Luni said...

I used to sew all my clothes. ALL of them, before fabric prices rose and it became cheaper to buy them. When I was learning, the first pieces I made were not really wearable. I kept them, but finally bit the bullet and threw them out.
The next pieces were better. Knowing what to toss is part of learning.
I hope this doesn't make me the meanie. I just thought someone ought to say that throwing things out is not acknowledging failure, just admitting that something doesn't work for you.