A Cautionary Fail

If you noticed that I am blogging more than usual lately, you are right.  I've joined Jen's 7 Days of Epic Blogging, where the goal is to write a post every day for seven days.  A bunch of folks signed up for this, including me, and I have no idea why, but what is life but one grand experiment?  

My last post on my 1970's skirt reminded me of a project I never posted about probably because I am still traumatized.  Any reader will know that I prefer the "Big Four" pattern based upon 1) price; 2) consistent sizing; 3) and printed finished garment measurement printed on the pattern.  My forays into independent patterns have been mostly successful, although not cheap, but the story I am about to tell is about a colossal fail.  

While I was in Cotton Creek, AL over Christmas, I spied at the LQS this seemingly innocent (and cute) pattern from Favorite Things.  It's their Wrap Dress pattern:

 Look at those girls on the cover!  They looks so cute, so happy, so seemingly at peace with their outfits.  But it's all a huge lie, dear readers; this wrap dress pattern is evil and unworkable.  Here is my version:

I can't remember who designed the fabric, but I thought it was perfect for the dress.  Unfortunately the dress, such that it is, does not function very well as a dress.  I mean, if you actually expect a dress to cover your body and protect you from the elements and prying eyes.  I wore it as a tunic sort of thing over jeans and a long sleeved tee, mainly because it was winter, but also because if you moved at all, the dress gaped to the waist.

Don't let my smile fool you, deal readers, this was a most ill-fitting garment.  See the back neck area standing upright from my neck/back?  What the hell is that???  I can't tell if this means the dress is too small or too large.  

I don't know how the women on the front cover of the pattern managed to stay covered; they must have sprayed themselves with glue and then wrapped the dress around their bodies.  I'm not linking to the pattern because I don't want to encourage anyone here.  Please, I beg you, do not buy this pattern.

It's a shame, because I loved the fabric which I used for the facings for my 1970's skirt (a much better use of the fabric, by the way). 

Just so I don't end this post on a completely negative note, I will confess that I liked the ruffle on the dress and hemming it was easier than I thought.  The instructions had you turn up a 1/4 inch hem, and stitch about 1/16th of inch close to the fold.  Then you pressed up the stitching line, so it didn't show, and then stitched again on top of it.  Then you cut away the excess raw edge.  I didn't have much confidence in these instructions, but it worked like a charm.

I used my eleven year old cheap sewing machine I keep stashed at Cotton Creek which I got at Sears when I first started sewing in 2002, and it was a challenge.  Going from my Bernina to the Sears model was like going from a Mercedes Benz to a horse and buggy, if the horse was ancient and had a tendency to bite people.  For what I paid for it in 2002, I could find a pretty nice used machine today.  I may have to look into to getting a new/used machine for my visits to my parents', and donate the Sears machine.