Project 14: The Truffle Dress

I saw on a blog recently a quote: Done is better than perfect.  I think this dress really embodies that saying.

The sad thing is, I was so ambitious and so ready for this.  I've been holding onto this voile for months, knowing I'd make this dress with it.  I bought nice batiste lining from G Street.  I even cut out the pieces to make sure the stripes matched.  This has been planned and replanned.  Maybe that's its fatal flaw?  Perhaps I didn't plan for the failure.

And honestly, I think I'm being harsh when I say failure.  Does it fit?  Yes.  Does the zipper work?  Yes, and it's invisible, which is always a plus.  But I built this dress up in my head and of course it didn't work once it was done.  I put the pattern on a pedestal.

Anyway...

Pattern Description
Sleeve dress with darts, bodice lining and invisible zipper.  Pattern also called for a ruffle at waist.

Pattern Sizing
0-18.  I cut an 8 for the bodice and a 10 for the skirt.

Did it look like the drawing on the envelope when you were done with it?
I suppose, though I omitted the ruffle.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
Well.  I followed the instructions, but still effed up majorly.  Once the invisible zipper was in and I'd sewn the side seams, I realized my straps were both twisted.  I had to rip out the side and shoulder seams in the bodice, try to restitch that mess correctly, and fix it.  Well, needless to say the shoulders are a hot mess because of it.  Oh, and then once I tried it on, I realized the shoulders were way too big, and I had to make them another 5/8" shorter.  (Really, they could've gone to 3/4", but I was so over it.)

What did you particularly like or dislike about this pattern?
The darts were my worst enemy.  Seriously, the first hour of sewing was just darts.  Now, I did add in a skirt lining, so that was an additional four darts.  But damn, I'd rather have gathering, and I hate gathering.

Also, at some point I could remember thinking, This looks easy enough!  Oh, how I came to regret those words...

Fabric Used
Anna Maria Horner voile.  I hoarded this stuff after buying it on sale at Del Ray Fabrics this past January.  It's really lovely, too, but the whole time I was sewing I worried about it.  I didn't want to have to toss it!

Oh, and I used a light blue batiste for the lining.

Stylized

Pattern changes or alterations made
I didn't do the waist ruffle thing--I'm just not into that, and I didn't have enough fabric.  After the botched straps I kinda just went with it and figured no one would ever be close enough to see my stitching, so that just was messy.  Oh, and for the life of me I couldn't figure out the Colette instructions on attaching the lining to the zipper, so that was improvised too.

Would you sew it again?
Probably not.  It exhausted me.

Conclusion
Don't hype the pattern up--you'll only let yourself down.  Don't drink coffee at 9 AM and then stop eating until dinner--your anxiety will heighten.  Don't let your new machine get the best of you, and don't get annoyed with your mom--she's only trying to help.

So I'm exhausted from this, and then making dinner and a strawberry cake for dessert...I'd like my next project to just be simple.  Brainless.  Something I know I'll do well with because this was just too much.

What'd you sew over the weekend?