Little Grey Dress

This is a project that's been in my to do pile for a while. I couldn't get excited about it because I was worried about being able to pull it off. It's more form fitting than I usually go for. In retrospect, my insecurities were very silly.

 

 

I made a mistake while sewing this but it turned out to be a happy mistake. I cut out view B which has the sleeves. However, the instructions for view A appear first. I was zoning out and totally followed the instructions for view A, making this into a sleeveless dress. I'm actually glad I did though. I think the sleeveless version has a more classy, sheath shape that I like.

 

Butterick 5672

 

I used a wool jersey for the shell and lined it with a tricot knit. I read many reviews before beginning and took note that many people omitted the lining and the zipper. I inserted both for a few reasons:

 

• Although the wool content in the jersey is low, my sensitive skin still gets the itchies from it.
• The jersey is on the thinner side so lining it gave the dress a more substantial weight.
• In my opinion, lining a garment looks better than facing the edges, or hemming them.
• Yes, it's a knit dress but if I didn't insert the zipper, I'm sure I would have popped the waistline stitches by trying to get it over my head and shoulders- especially since I ended up taking the sides in a bit.

I cut my typical one size smaller than the pattern recommends. The Big 4 always has too much ease in my opinion. As I sewed, I did some test fittings and ended up sewing a 7/8" seam allowance along the sides to eat up some more ease. I'm glad I did. It took the dress from being on the frumpy side, to body-con in no time.

 

The dress went together fast and easily! It's a great option if you need a new dress in a flash. The pleating along the waistline is great for camouflaging a bit of a tummy if you need.

 

My hubby's comment: "you look stunning"!  

 

~Jenny