Vogue 1091

One of my resolutions this vacation is to add some reviews to Pattern Review. I like and use that site a lot and my own contributions are overdue. As this is a dress I haven't posted here yet I am going to share that review with  you. I wish I had worn a better slip or not worn stockings, but it was still pretty cold in my part of the world at Easter. And yes I did wear shoes, gold flats that don't show here.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? More or less, pay attention to the wide neckline, revealed in the pattern instructions to sew in lingerie guards.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes they were.
What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I made this for an Easter dinner where I knew I would be on dog walking, baby carrying, cooking and dishwashing duty and I wanted something comfortable I could move in that still had some style. It did the job but if I made it again I wonder if I would rethink the facings at the shoulder. Under a knit an interfaced facing is a little bulky and shows some. Cutting the cap sleeves double, with the fold being the hem, instead would have worked well I think. You will also note that this pattern calls for a wide elastic in the neckline casing for effect and although I was careful to use a wide braided elastic that wasn't too firm it still bowed on me, front and back and the shoulders pulled in with little. There were also the dimples as you would expect with a soft knit attached to a large, highly gathered piece of elastic. Didn't like the look of this so opened up the casing and pulled in the elastic about 1 1/2" on both the front and back. This eliminated the bowing, eliminated the need for lingerie guards, and positioned the sleeves so they sat closer to my neck and the dimpling disappeared. Of course this also raised the neckline and you will have to decide yourself if you like that look or not. It did make the dress easier to wear though I thought.

My suggestion is that you leave a small gap in the casing stitching in case you too want to adjust the elastic after fitting. Saves you from the scary job of unpicking stitches in a knit.

Fabric Used: Bamboo knit.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Added 3" in length as I am 5'9"

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? This is a one time dress for me, not sure how many really loose dresses I want, but I am glad I made it for this occasion.

Conclusion: Good pattern for a comfortable knit dress with some design interest.