I’ve been lying to you. Turns out: I can’t sew. This weekend is Maryland Sheep and Wool. I think I’ll just buy some yarn, make a bed of wool and cry myself to sleep at night.
I’m all done with this one. The fabric, pattern and muslins are all in the trash bin. I can say the tips for the bias stretch really worked! But, the dress is not working for me. I’m not getting the coverage I need. And, I’ve lost interest in figuring it out.
On to the next project.
Miss Celie's Pants 
Renee, it is not you, it is the pattern. If you scroll through images of dresses made by sewists, you will see an array of results which include camis for modesty or full on cleavage. The one sewist who achieved full coverage was quite young and clearly still wearing a “training bra.” Fret no more-no wool bed required.
It happens to every seamstress, and more than once. Trash this one, so it’s not just over in the corner mocking you. Perhaps, the next one should be a tried-and-succeeded project that’s quick and easy to put this experience well out of mind. BTW, I just bought another knitting machine, and I blame you. 😀
Toss it and don’t look back. I have yet to see this dress really work out for anyone. The sewing masochist in me is pondering whether Simplicity 1006 (the updated version of this dress) might actually work out better. Oy. No reviews on PR yet.
I noticed that pattern too and thought they were extremely similar. Maybe I’ll pick it up and have a look. I love the idea of this dress. But, this was terrible.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 10:15 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Go have a good cry, then wipe your eyes and blow your nose and move on to something else.
If you compost at all, shredded paper breaks down beautifully. That way you can comfort yourself with the secret knowledge that the pattern is rotting in paper hell as food for worms — and also benefiting the environment! Something ought to get some use out of it, anyway.
I do compost and I will. Thank you for reminding me!!
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 10:34 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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I’ll be at Sheep & Wool too!! I’m going up on Saturday, welcome to the dark side of knitting. LOL I hope I bump into you!
I may end up in a yarn coma! I’ll message you my phone number so we can at least meet. In real life.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 10:37 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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YES! Let’s meet up 🙂
So disappointing! I hate it when this happens, but I’ve definitely had my fair share of this lately. Chalk it all up to a learning experience and move on to the next thing.
Yeah. From now on I’m going to consider how wide the neckline is. No FBA could have covered that expanse!
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 10:44 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Don’t throw it out. Wad it up in a ball, direct very unladylike words at it and throw it in the corner. You may eventually want to go back to it. I have often found that the solution to the problem was easier to see with some time away from the offending item. Time away could be a year or more – no rush!
Sorry to hear you’ve been having such a time with that. You can sew; sadly every once in a while we run into these patterns that don’t turn out.
What do you mean, you can’t sew? You’re my sewing heroine! Just go back to a TNT and make something great. You know you can! This is just not a good pattern for you, or maybe for anybody.
A very mature decision. You only have so much time to spend on hobbies, so maximize your time and effort. Go to Maryland S$W if the weather’s good and buy some yarn. Moving on.
You can sew. This pattern has the classic wraps-on-cups problem. To design a wrap that covers a curve it has to cross higher, which brings the overlapped piece much further towards the side seam at the waist, sometimes impossibly far. Having that much overlap then impacts on how the drapes work. It’s relatively easy to design a wrap for someone fairly flat in the vital area, but a bit of a puzzle otherwise.
Yes! And, it looks meant to be 70s chic low cut. And, I have a really high bra bridge. I just can’t wear anything that wide and that low. I think I’ll stick with wrap knits from now on.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 1:04 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Sorry friend. That sucks. It happens to everyone though, and you sew very well. Make a TNT next to get your confidence back.
That pattern doesn’t seem to like boobs.
It *hates* them.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 2:38 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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It happens. I recently tossed a jacket I’ve been working on and off for a year
Ha! I did that once with a tuxedo jacket. I made too many mistakes to salvage and it just wasn’t working.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 3:11 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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I once made a dress .like this for my younger daughter who refers to her breasts as “the boobs of doom”, so you get the gist.I ended up throwing at least 4 muslins in the trash. What worked? I literally had her put on her best bra and draped the damn bodice on her, with her standing in front of the mirror and pointing out to me where she wanted coverage. This actually did not take as long as you’d expect and it worked so well that she had me use that muslin to make her two versions of the dress. So, if you can find a sewing buddy to give you a hand, that probably will give you your best shot.
Thanks, Toby! I was thinking over this last night. Maybe I’ll attempt it one day. But, I think for this design – no amount of FBAs will make it work on me.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 3:33 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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It’s the neckline! This pattern — weirdly, like so many other wrap-bodice dresses — has an absurdly WIDE position where the front pieces connect to the back (at the shoulders). Imagine how much more coverage it would give if the arc of the neckline hugged the neck more. The diagonal line of the wrap is then much closer to the center line of your body. See, for example (randomly chosen) New Look 6674. Fixes: either use a much smaller size just for cutting the back and front necklines, or modify it yourself to suit you.
That’s a really good point, Meg! It is rather wide. And, looking at the line drawings I just figured a good old FBA would cut it. Not so much.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 3:47 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Yep. Chuck it. On to the next.
Some patterns just don’t work. No need torturing ourselves to try to make it so. Plus…YARN!
Blogger meetup? I will also be at the Maryland Sheep and Wool on Saturday! And I’ll be getting up at 5am to drive there… If you want to say hi, I’ll be at the Verdant Gryphon table for part of the day and wandering around for the rest. – Claire
I’d love to meet other people at MSW. It’s my first time going and I’m hoping not to go yarn crazy. I’ll definitely stop by your booth. I think we’ll get there around 9 am myself.
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 4:58 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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great! hope to see you there.
I am sorry for you but it makes me understand why I failed with this style before. The comments are very enlightning too. Thanks to everybody
Blogger meetup? I will also be at the Maryland Sheep and Wool on Saturday! And I’ll be getting up at 5am to drive there… If you want to say hi, I’ll be at the Verdant Gryphon table for part of the day and wandering around for the rest. – Claire
One word – NEXT!
Renee, I agree, that that pattern. But, for the same look, what about the Cashmerette Appleton wrap dress? The waist is a little higher, but a bit of lengthening of the bodice might work, or just go with the higher waist, looks wonderful on so many women!
Hi! The Cashmerette pattern is a knit and this one is a woven. I have a TNT knit wrap dress from BurdaStyle. But, it is allegedly also drafted for a woven too. Maybe I’ll take my TNT and modify the skirt for the same look!
On Wed, May 4, 2016 at 9:52 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Forget about the dress. It appears that most of the commenters above will be going to the Sheep and wool show. (Sadly, I’m on the other side of the country and our Flock And Fiber Show is in late September.) Go nab a table and have your sewing minions come to you.
You are a great sewist, Rene, good enough to know when a pattern is just bad. i looked at other’s versions and really don’t think any are that flattering. There is just too much volume in that skirt and I think if you hadn’t chucked on the bodice, you would have on the skirt. Move on, know that its not you, and never look back. It happens.
Hey Bunny! I think you’re right. I may have been real mad when I had six yards of fabric around my hips. I think the concept of this one is great. But, probably not execution.
On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 7:05 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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So glad that Sheep and Wool is coming at an appropriate time! I do find that any disaster is best completely disposed of—don’t let it sit around mocking you. There are too many other things out there. Just be glad you weren’t making something from the $850/yard fabric that The Fabric Place is advertising this week!
I’m going to MDSW on Sunday. Sorry about the dress.
I will probably go back on Sunday if I’m totally overwhelmed on Saturday!
On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 10:41 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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Oh girl, have I been there! #Solidarity You can sew quite beautifully, so you’re clearly not the problem. Glad you’re putting this behind you and moving on. Might I suggest something simple and fun for the next project? Those always help me feel better after a major disaster, hopefully it will do the same for you!
Ugh! How annoying! I gotta say, it’s pretty freeing to just chuck something like this in the trash. Also, buying yarn is very soothing when you’re feeling like crap (says the girl who bought two different kinds of sock yarn online in the lead-up to a loved one’s funeral this week). I support this wool bed impulse completely!
I agree with Bunny. This is just not a good pattern. There is too much volume under the bust and way to wide a neckline. You’ve sewn plenty of great garments over the years, this is not you. Toss it and go on. Think of it like trying on lots of dresses in the store to find one that works for you.
Thanks for pointing out the overall bust problems before. You’re totally right though. The neck is just too wide!
On Thu, May 5, 2016 at 1:38 PM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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I cried uncle after I saw how many yards of fabric the dress required. Good grief. Ain’t nobody got time (or space) for that.
Yeah… even with a 50 percent sale, this fabric still cost almost $90. Blergh.
On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 7:36 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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honestly, i’ve been giving this envelope some major side eye. i don’t know if i’ll even pull the tissue out!
It should have clicked with me when I read one reviewer who said you could get enough coverage by just overlapping the surplice more. And, she was a very small bust size. I should have taken that as my warning. It’s just too wide a neckline for me. But, I lurv the idea of this so much.
On Fri, May 6, 2016 at 7:48 AM, Miss Celie's Pants wrote:
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