At last I have got some photos to share with you of my latest make my Emery dress. It's been a long time coming, it seemed to take forever to make this dress and then of course I had to get some half decent photos. Always an impossible task!
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Overall I'm pretty pleased with my new dress although the bodice is a bit on the snug side. Despite making a muslin, I seem to have got this wrong.
I made a size 8 based on my measurements (bust 36, waist 28, hips 38), but I think I need to size up next time by doing a full bust adjustment. Also the bust darts are a little too long and need shortening.
I made the neck darts wider to deal with the gaping back neckline. The only other change I made to the pattern was that I shortened the waist slightly and I think I got this right.
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I'm really impressed with this pattern, the instructions were very good and if you got stuck, the sew-along on Christine Haynes' website is really thorough. I think an ambitious beginner could tackle this pattern with no problems.
I chose to make the plain version, I did cut out a bow for the waist, but I decided that I liked it best without the bow. I would like to make a long-sleeved version for winter I think.
The pockets
The full gathered skirt
The vintage style
The material - I bought this in John Lewis, and it was a little pricey but I think it was a good buy
I'm also pretty pleased with my invisible zip.
The bodice is lined with a cotton voile as I though lining with the main dress fabric would be too heavy. I bought the voile from Favourite Fabrics on ebay and they seem a good seller, so I will be checking what else they have on offer! I'm pretty pleased with the lining and also my set in sleeves.
All in all the Emery dress is a great pattern and I can see why it is so popular. I will definitely be making it again, but I think I will start again with the bodice as this one is just a bit too snug for comfortable every day wear! Luckily I traced the pattern so I still have the original pattern intact.
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While making this dress I also realized that although I love dresses and I wear them a lot, I don't have a lot of hand-made everyday items so I am going to concentrate on stitching some up for my summer wardrobe. Also much as I love dresses they can be very time-consuming...
Which do you prefer to sew, simple everyday items that sew up quickly or more time-consuming projects?
Catherine x
Very pretty! I have the Emery pattern and just have to make one already :) Thanks for the tip about the back neckline gaping - that is a common problem for me so I'll look out for it. This is such a vintage-y make - and that back zip is truly invisible
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Me too, my back neck always gapes. Have been reading Fit for Real People a lot recently and I think I need to adjust for a round back, too much sitting at a computer! Look forward to seeing your make, I've followed you x
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