So where were we? Oh yes, Built by Wendy 3692. Behold my second version of this pattern—this time as a dress and made in a size 10. I was pretty zealous in my last post about the fact that this is four sizes smaller than what the pattern measurements indicate should fit me. A little over zealous perhaps, because while it feels comfortable and fits more or less fine, when I looked at these photos I started to wonder if the 12 would fit better. Primarily because the shoulder seams look a little high to me. And perhaps it’s a wee bit snug through the bust. Also, my measurements are between the 16 and 18, so if I rounded down and it turns out the 12 fits better, I’d have to revise my earlier recommendation that you size down by four sizes. At this point, I’d say more like two or three sizes.
Moving on…
I still like it a lot the way it is. I’ll just continue to test and tweak. And report.
Oh, and I’m in love with this fabric. It’s a soy/bamboo blend with a tiny bit of lycra which I got at Mill End. The color is so gorgeous.
What I’d love advice on is the dress part. It’s pretty shapeless—almost like a night gown. I thought I might sew in some elastic at the waistline to give it more shape but then I took it to the Friday night Sew-cial at MD and the good gals there suggested I simply do a few rows of shirring in the back. Sounds great, right? And it looks okay from the front—but is seriously unflattering from the side!
So what do you think? Should I do elastic all the way around the waist—or should I just cut it off, hem it and call it good as a top? I’m leaning toward the latter.
On a side note: I think I need to hire Lauren to be my photo stylist, so things like the twisted necklace don’t happen again. And speaking of helpers, we also had a post-shower streaker run right through our shoot. Good times!
