Easter Dress 2018 | Ottobre Design Woman 02/2015 no. 4 Sheath Dress

Do you ever want to cry, as a project you've envisioned comes to 'life' in a perfectly perfect way for you?  And you only realize it when it is complete?  That's exactly how I felt when I finished this dress.  I simply wanted to cry!  With joy!

This year I wanted to sew more 'fitted' garments.....  and more 'quality-made' garments....

..... and after falling in love with this beautiful floral watercolor print, made of humble calico, 100% cotton, (basically quilting cotton)..... I knew immediately it must be made using the Ottobre Design Woman 02/2015 no. 4 Sheath Dress pattern.  My notes show it was traced February 2016, so it's a pattern I've clearly been wanting to make for a while.  I traced a size 38 and this dress was made with no modifications.  Fabric purchased at Hobby Lobby, as was the satin/crepe lining fabric.  It is fully lined.

Fully lined, the lining gives the dress structure and affords a luxurious wear with a streamlined skimming of the body.  Words cannot express how comfortable this dress is.  During the construction process, the dress lay completely different on my body to such a degree I was worried that I'd made a huge mistake in choosing this pattern and had messed up somewhere on the side seams.  Forging on..... believing the lining would smooth everything out (literally and figuratively!).... am so glad I did because it was oh-so-worth it and I am greatly pleased.  Again, used Lucky Sew and Sew's fantastic tutorial 'Lining a Sleeveless Sheath Dress by Machine'.

May I say I am ever so proud of not only how the front seams line up, but also the back!  Top of invisible zip meets evenly.... and no puckers at the bottom of the zip!

Back view showing invisible zip line in the middle and how the bodice princess seams match up perfectly with the adjoining skirt princess(?) seams.  This is where quilting comes in handy to feeling comfortable matching seams.

A big Thank You to Diane at Dream.Cut.Sew, who so generously shares many great tips at her blog, who also recently showed how to offset the invisible zip seamlines ever so slighty where they 'meet', to not pucker.   This is my first dress I've put an invisible zip in that did not pucker and that I did not have to un-pick and re-do multiple times.  I apologize I could not find Diane's direct post with her great photo, but hope mine will do, below.  I first sewed the invisible zip..... then changing to a regular zip foot, pinned this 'meeting place' very carefully, and beginning at the bottom..... stitched up and ended here, slightly offsetting.  EDITED TO ADD:  the link to take you directly to Diane's awesome  tutorial complete with lots of photos.

Thought it'd add a whimsical touch to cover the serged hemline, with yellow gingham bias binding left over from the Pilvi Jacket last year, before machine stitching a blind hem.  Super love the way this turned out.  I'd made yards and yards of the stuff, (think quilt binding quantity!) not fully realizing how little a garment actually uses..... so yes!... more will be popping up in my posts as I sew through the pile.  Good thing it's cute!  ;)   The last hemming stitch was stitched late Saturday afternoon for my new dress to be worn to church Easter Sunday, all to find my daughter did not feel well Sunday morning, so we all stayed home to be with her.  And that was the right thing to do.  Also in the photo below, is part of the lining hem.  This was simply serged, rolled twice into a 'narrow hem' and top-stitched in place  Experience is showing with how even the 'rolling' is, coupled with the even stitching.  Nice to be becoming 'experienced'.... finally!!!

Still feel like such a newbie sometimes though.  For instance..... in Ottobre's instructions, she has you serging or zigzagging all edges of garment pieces before starting to construct the garment.  This gave me such pause, because the front bodice princess seams have a pretty severe curvature and I was concerned about how to snip and/or grade those seams to lay well.  But no worries, again, blindly forging ahead and giving in to the process (i.e. instructions), all seams lay well with no grading or snipping and are pressed to the center front and center back respectively.  Treated the lining fabric the very same.

And finally!  I can tell sweet, ever patient, ever supportive Sarah Liz, that my March Make a Garment a Month plans were made and COMPLETED in March!  Yes!!  :)

Looking forward to wearing my new dress as a 'sporty look'.....

..... as well as a more 'formal look'.

Paired with the BurdaStyle 01/2016 #120 Reversible Jacket

Happy Sewing All!   :)