A Sewing Save! The Blue Floral and Wool Dress

Back in November I made the 9th version of "my" dress.  I listed off the other eight that I had sewn and linked them to photos elsewhere on my blog when possible.  In this list I mentioned the "failed blue floral and wool" version that I'd never shared here because I was so unhappy with how it turned out.  Apparently, writing about it was just the nudge I needed to finally revisit that dress and see if there wasn't something I could do to make it work for me.

I should have taken a before photo, but I didn't.  Basically the problem was the little capped sleeves.   The Simplicity 2174 dress pattern has a couple different style options for sleeves, hem, and neckline.  I thought after making several of version A I should try the little capped sleeves and angled neckline in version C.

I love the angled neckline.  Its attractive--slightly dressier than the high neckline-- and was simple enough to sew.  The sleeves were easy to set and looked nice, BUT they didn't fit me right.  I felt like The Incredible Hulk, about to burst my sleeves at any moment.  It limited my movement.  That wasn't going to work for me.

I couldn't bear to think of donating it.  The skirt is of a tightly woven, almost felted brown wool.  I'd wanted it for the colder weather.  The blue flowers of the bodice was fabric I'd been "saving for something special."  There hadn't been enough of it for a full dress and I was so tickled when I hit upon the idea to combine it with something else making my first two-tone dress.  And so it sat, languishing in the closet of my sewing room for more than a year.

Then in under a half hour it was fixed.  I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner.  Rather than try to tweak the existing sleeves or make new, altered ones and put them in I just took the sleeves off entirely.  A double fold hem later and the dress was sleeveless and delightfully wearable.  No more "bulging" muscles straining the fabric.  Huzzah!  I wear it all the time now.  The wool skirt is just as awesome for winter as I thought it would be.