Perhaps you remember from last week that I asked for some help in choosing my fabric for the #sewtogetherforsummer Wrap Dress Challenge? Well I have my answer now, thank you Kind Readers! It was a pretty close race!
First choice, although it was close, was … the blue Chevron! (for lack or a better description)
Second choice by just 3 votes was … the orange Chevron!
So I have decided to sew both fabrics up … with few slight changes …
The blue Chevron will be my Wrap Dress for the #sewtogetherforsummer Challenge and the orange Chevron will be view A of McCall’s M5974, just to mix things up a bit!
To mix things up a bit more … unfortunately when I set up to cut out my fabrics on the family room floor, I discovered I didn’t have any tracing paper. I have been tracing my patterns faithfully since February 2014!
I find tracing paper stronger than the tissue paper used by most pattern companies – read “cat proof!”
I find I can trace out any size or variations of sizes for each pattern piece without damaging the original tissue pattern piece, which then can be reused to trace a different size next time.
I find it easier to hold or pin a sturdy tracing paper pattern piece to my body, to help with fitting, rather than tissue paper.
I find it easier to fold, tape and cut alterations onto a traced pattern piece. If things really go bad with your planned changes you can always just toss the traced pattern piece out and start again with a new tracing.
I hope that some day when the world is taken over by digital patterns, my paper pattern collection, and that of other collectors, will be appreciated as part of sewing history, and even more so if the patterns are uncut.
Well … I tried to convince myself I could cut this one pattern out, just this one, just this time, just so I could move on with sewing my Wrap Dress. I delayed cutting with a thorough examination of the pattern envelope. I delayed cutting by repeatedly moving Simon off my fabric. Then, luckily, I noticed that I could not use this uncut McCall’s M5974 for the #sewtogetherforsummer Challenge!
Why? Because this pattern has a zipper. The rules state:
“So, for the Challenge, what constitutes a wrap dress? A wrap dress should have a front or back closure formed by wrapping one side over the other and knotting the attached ties or fastening buttons. It should not have a zip. We will also accept faux wrap dresses which cross at the front and are slipped over the head. We will not accept dresses that cross on the skirt but not the bodice.”
McCall’s M5974 is basically a dress with a round neck or a wrap V front with a zipper and an attached belt.
I’m happy I caught my mistake before it was too late! Digging through my pattern stash, I found this Sewaholic Yaletown, a pattern I have made before here.
The Yaletown is a pull over your head, no zipper, wrap bodice dress. And best of all I have made it before so I still have the traced pattern pieces and do not have to go at my tissue paper pattern pieces with scissors!
I did order some pattern tracing paper to make McCall’s M5974 next. I’m waiting impatiently for it to arrive, but as soon as it does, I will cut out my orange Chevron, view A, a simple round neck dress with some waistline details and a zipper.
Notice the stripes in the chevron? I carefully pinned the edges of my fabric layers together, matching the stripes before I cut.
I placed my first cut skirt piece on top of my fabric, lining up the lines in the design of the fabric of both layers. Can you even notice that there is a cut skirt piece on top of my fabric?
I tried to match the design lines in the side seams of my bodice, back and front. We shall see how the stripes in my bodice match when I actually sew the pieces together.
Next step! Sewing!
Are you as obsessive as me? Do you trace your tissue paper pattern pieces? Or do you just blaze right through them with a pair of scissors? 😉
Happy Sewing!
STASH BUSTING WITH THIS PROJECT? 0 metres! I’m still at the cutting stage. (139.7 metres remaining!)
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