Sunday, July 29, 2012

The Teacher Dress




My family tells me that this is a great "teacher dress". I think it's a great dress...period! I love the fit and the style, and can see myself getting lots of use out of it, both in and out of school.

Inspiration: Stella McCartney "Ridley Stretch Cady" Dress, $885.


I first saw it worn by the Duchess of Cambridge at the Road to 2012 celebration, and admired the shape of the dress and darts on the outside. The pattern has sleeve options, but for this time I left them off.

Pattern: Butterick 5780


The darts on the skirt immediately reminded me of the McCartney dress, and I was really drawn to the unique shaping of the neckline.



Pattern Description: "MISSES'/MISSES' PETITE DRESS: Fitted dress (close-fitting through bust) has side front bodice extending into back collar, front pleated skirt, stitched hems and back zipper."



Pattern Sizing:6-22. There are NO finished garment measurements on the pattern (usually marked at the bust/waist/hips), so according to my measurements, it should've been pretty close. It was a smudge big, not too bad, though.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, exactly!!!



Were the instructions easy to follow?Butterick gives this pattern an EASY rating, but I disagree. The bodice construction isn't easy and the illustrations provided in the instructions aren't adequate. Go slowly and use the matching points (and logic) where you can, and it WILL be worth the effort! Start to finish (including cutting the pattern), it took me 4 hours to make this dress. Well worth it, in my opinion.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
LIKE: A sheath with style. It will be good in warm weather and (with a jacket) in cooler months. It was a welcome challenge, as my recent projects have been pretty easy.
DISLIKE: The instructions on the bodice assembly were quite lacking. It would've been nice if they had warned you when to finish the bottom edge of the facings (first thing right off the bat, in case you make it up yourself).



Fabric Used:2 yards of black RPL from the stash (Ressy's co-op). No lining, no interfacing. (I skipped the zipper, too. Shhh!)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: When I saw that it was a tiny bit big, I took in the side seams about 1/4" on both sides.



Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
Yes and yes! I have some navy knit in the stash ready to go, and now that I've figured out the "origami" of the bodice construction, I can do it again, no problem! For others out there, please don't be intimidated by these reviews, just take our time, read the instructions and pin in the obvious places... It is worth the effort and time!

Conclusion: I'm looking forward to making this pattern up again, now that I've figured out the construction of the bodice and love the way it looks!



20 comments:

Dharma said...

Great dress! I like the bodice. Does it have pleats and tucks?
I really like the shoes!!

Gail said...

I love the folds on shoulders. I'm making a red dress at moment and wish I'd used this pattern. Your fit is perfect.

Unknown said...

Dharma: The bodice is really unique... The shaping doesn't come from pleats or tucks. Its kind of a princess seamed thing, with the collar folding over and wrapping around the back neck. 2 tucks on the skirt front, and 2 darts on the back.

Carolyn (Diary of a Sewing Fanatic) said...

This is beautiful and not a dress that any teacher I ever had wore! You look fantastic!

Lori said...

That dress is gorgeous on you. Does Ressy still do her co-ops? I was a member years ago.

BeccaA said...

Your dress looks so much nicer than the pattern cover. Now I can't wait to get the pattern and try it out. Fabulous dress!

Bunny said...

Love it. The bodice detail is so pretty. It looks great on you. I would say with a bit of bling this would be a great "dinner out" dress too!

Unknown said...

Lori: The co-op hasn't been active in a couple/few years. I've had this RPL in my stash for some time...

Steph said...

Very Sharp! Looks great on you. This is something I may like to try in the future.

gwensews said...

That's a fabulous dress, whether in or out of school.

Joyce in NC said...

This is a great looking dress on you. It is very flattering and not what I would have expected my teacher to wear to school.

Linda L said...

You look great in this dress. I just purchased this pattern about a month ago. Bonnie D was sewing this dress also and said similar things about the difficulty of making this dress. Your review was most helpful and will bookmark this for when I attempt this dress.

No measurements on pattern-that all to make it even more interessting to sew.

AllisonC said...

Stunning dress, no wonder you want to make it again. It looks far too good for teaching in, I think your family need to take you out somewhere fancy!

SEWN said...

I agree with Allison, you and your dress need an occasion. ;) Beautiful.

Dawn said...

Giiiiiiiiiiiiiiirrrrrlllllllllll,you look amazing! Not the dress either, YOU! Well, the dress kicks ass too but you look great.

Lisette M said...

I don't think "teacher" at all in this dress! You look great!

angie.a said...

That's a really HOT teacher dress! ;)

Bonnie O. said...

I was curious to see if anyone else had also made this dress to see if their experience was similar to mine. I can see that yours was EXACTLY like my experience. LOL. I love your version.

I have worn mine about 4 times and have received tons of compliments, even from strangers!

After reading your review, I'm tempted to make it again. Maybe also in black for a nice classic go-to dress. What is RPL fabric?

Aline said...

It has turned out lovely. I just ordered the pattern, and as I am not afraid of a good puzzle, I am really looking forward to making it.
Really great details and so stylish!

Betty beam said...

I'm trying to put this bodice together but I'm having no luck at all. I just can't figure it out and I need this by sayurday. I'm so disgusted.