Samantha's Crossover Dress

  I mentioned a couple times that I was working on sewing a dress for a friend... this style. Well, it's done and I have pictures! Samantha (who may be the sweetest, most gentle person I have ever met) chose to use a knit sheet set from Wal-mart for her fabric as well, in an oatmeal color.

  I was a little worried about the fit when I made it, because Samantha didn't bring a well-fitting t-shirt for me to make her pattern from, and I didn't have my measuring tape with me when we met. We had to go with a tightly fitting jacket and a scrap from the sheet to measure the skirt length and overlay length, but the only place that didn't fit perfectly was the shoulders... I should have cut them just a tiny bit wider. And that mistake was made because the jacket's shoulders were too wide, and padded, and I over-compensated.

  It was really interesting to see how the same style of dress looked so different on our different figures... if I were to make this for Samantha again, I would lower the waistline a few inches to de-emphasize the bust.

(The sleeves do fit right. Just the pose causing the wrinkles. =))

  I went ahead and did two layers on the overlay instead of one, sandwiching the ruffle between them, and it did help a lot to keep the ruffle from flipping the wrong direction. I also did two layers in the back this time, since the oatmeal-colored knit is a little more transparent, and we didn't want any show-through issues. It also helps to keep the weight of the skirt from pulling the back waistband down, although apparently it made the dress a little too warm as well. I made two other minor changes- Samantha's sleeves are a touch longer, but still have the split cuffs, and her dress does not have the nursing openings.

  It was fun to make this for someone beside myself! Although, I admit it didn't hold my attention as well this time... it feels a little tedious to make the same thing three times. Which is why the next version I make for myself will be altered enough that it will be a different dress. ;-) (I'm thinking half-circle skirt, more of a wrap bodice, different ruffles, and ties... but I'm not making it any time soon!)

Thanks for stopping by!