Sit on it Emery

I like this pattern not.  After buying this pattern I realized that essentially I already have similar patterns. I think it's easy to see a really nice looking dress on someone's blog and not realise the main reason it caught my eye was because of the lovely fabric used.  In Brisbane we aren't exactly spoilt for choice when it comes to fabric unlike when I started sewing a few decades ago.  Anyways, so I see some lovely dresses on the blogs and it doesn't occurs to me that maybe I'm buying a similar pattern to ones I already own. 

So to begin at the begin.  One evening I was inspired to cut out the Emery. I had some paisley cotton material I had been intending for a summer frock, but decided in our moderate Qld winter the weight would be perfect with the longer sleeve.  So I cut it out and, at that point realised how familiar the basic pattern pieces looked.  I decided to get going and put the bodice together, darts done - check, side seams and shoulder seams - check.  Then I'm looking at the bodice which looks extra extra large for some reason. I got out my New Look 6223 pattern and placed the back bodice pattern pieces over the Emery piece. 

OMG as the kids say.  I mean seriously. I cut out the pattern according to my sizing on the pattern instructions, and whatdoyaknow it was way out.  Now I've heard girls criticise the "big 4" pattern companies as not being as good as the independent ones.  My experience thus far with the independents is that everything I've made has been too big.  They do appear to suffer the same problem as the old school pattern companies and the sizing, in my experience, is completely off. Since I started sewing, the pattern sizing chart puts me at a size 16 and yet I've sewn to a 12 all my long sewing life.  So when I hear the phrase "fits like a glove" in reference to the Emery I am quite surprised. From which "glove" emporium do you buy your gloves I wonder? And these days people talk about making muslins.  I've been sewing for far too long and am too impatient to be making up a dress once for practice. But I can understand for the novices it is very useful. 

Meanwhile back at my Emery bodice, out came my friend the quick unpick and I set to unpicking my bodice.  Super p o'd.  I then had to recut the bodice pieces and the sleeve.  I then put the darned thing away for a few weeks as it was making me very cross. 

On returning to the pattern afresh I was ready to make it up - take dos.  It is a nice basic pattern to put together especially.  I had thought about lining the bodice, but boy was a glad I didn't.  So I finished the Emery pretty quickly. I was going to put binding around the neck so I thought I'd just try it on before I did that. And flipping heck the bodice still looked way too big.  It was poofing out above the bust line closer to the neck edge.  I was ready to tear it up quite literally.  But no what a waist of material and time.  I ended up adding a dart to the centre front and had to run the 2 vertical darts nearly up to the neckline to make the front bodice more fitted.

I also had to re-do the sleeves take them up a few centimetres and take them in to make then look a tad less boxy.  So here it is finished.  It is just ok and thanks to the fabric pattern you can hardly notice the darts. Was actually glad it only garnered a few nice comments from work people, because it really didn't deserve any praise.  And frankly I couldn't be bothered posing for photos in it. It does look a smidge better on, but only a smidge.

Also the pattern picture isn't really accurate to the dress. I'm being a pedant on this one but the skirt looks more A-line on the pattern cover with a little gather than the full skirt you finish up with. All in all a real disappointment.

So I shall stick to my New Look 6223 and just add a bow if I wish or a collar. 

Not that the Emery is out on its own with my vitriol.  I've also got a very loose fitting Cambi in my cupboard which took a few alterations because of the lining showing in the sleeve. And then there was the annoyance of the Jasmine blouse. So much fiddling around and the finished product still looked huge.  I finally made a black full skirt to wear with that and it makes it passable. Then there is a Ginger skirt that has some serious waistband issues. The best independent pattern I've purchased so far is from Tilly and her Mathilde blouse.  Great pattern, great instructions, terrific fit.  Thanks Tilly. 


I do hope this ends my season of the sewing horribilis. It has been an annoying few months of fails and near fails.