Yesterday night I finally finished my Anna Dress & it has not been an easy road I can tell you! I started it just after By Hand London’s sewalong, with the idea that this would be a wearable muslin. Now I wish I made a proper muslin, because I’ve basically made this dress twice! Most patterns fit me without any major alterations, not anymore :(
First off, I cut it out in a UK size 18, following my measurements, I should have checked the finished measurements, but apparently I’m not that smart! I also cut it with the v-neck, (slash necks always make me feel like I’m choking). I put it all together with the lovely french seams & tried it on, but it was way too loose, I like a little wiggle room, but that was overkill. So I chopped off about 8 cm on the back seam, before I put in the zipper, I didn’t have an invisible zipper that was long enough, so I did a centered zip. This helped abit, but I wasn’t loving the v-neck, it was too saggy, probably because the whole thing was too big, I’ll give it another go in a smaller size. Instead of just sewing it in on the side seams, I decided to cut a new front bodice in a smaller size & with the slash neck. Enter the next problem……………
I was smart enough this time to move the bust pleats on the new smaller bodice to match the skirt seams, but even with the slash neck, the back neck was too big. Guess being pregnant has changed my body in more places than my tummy, I should probably make myself a new base pattern, so I can see what other alterations I’m in need of. Anyway, I wasn’t about to cut a new back bodice, not when my zip was in & looking nice, so I just added some darts to fix that problem. I wasn’t in the mood for making a new neckline facing either & as always the slash neck was choking me, so I made some bias tape in the same fabric & used that. I lowered the neck on the front about 4 cm & finished it by hand on the inside (my little son still won’t let me sew on my machine during naptime).
I used the dress today, the fabric wrinkles quite easily, but on the plus side it survived a baby playdate with 9 babies ;) I have some ideas in my head of future Anna dresses, hopefully they won’t take me 3 months each!
