Listening: Turnpike Troubadours, Diamonds and Gasoline (2009), "The Funeral". Really liking this. They're not mind-blowing, but it's good road music.
No pictures, although I wore it to Galveston yesterday.
I think I need to take a half-inch of length back out of the bodice. I thought when I made the black sundress that the bodice seemed long, but convinced myself that the weight of the long, gathered, skirt was pulling everything down. This version doesn't look bad but would look better if it were just slightly less bunchy. Good grief, I've turned into Amber Jean--always tinkering!
I'm not going to kill myself getting the bolero done for Thursday. It can't happen, and having the dress to wear is enough fun. I've lost the original pattern pieces, and I have another copy in bust 32 but just discovered that the bolero is missing (looks like I'll be sending it to Vintage Pattern Rescue. Sigh). I found and ordered another bust 36 in case the first one never turns up but, sheesh. That means I'm making the bolero from the very questionable newpaper tracings I did last year.
I did whip up a very rough test of the bolero on Saturday, though, and it has fewer fitting issues than the dress. I had to take out 1/2 inch, tapering out toward the waist, underneath each arm; I lowered the armscye curve slightly; the back shoulder buckles and needs a wedge rotated out at the shoulder seam; and I'm added 1/2 inch length at bust level, both because it will be just a bit short once it's hemmed and because the waist dart comes up a little higher than I'd like. I might carve out the back of the neck a little, too. Overall, though, I think it needs a lot less work than the dress did.
The pattern packet shows a smoothly-fitted sleeve but we all know that never happens in real life; they always want you to "ease in" four yards of extra material. I lowered the sleeve cap more than an inch and narrowed the sleeve slightly before I even cut and installed the test and it still has 2-3 inches of extra ease. I'll probably just draft a new sleeve instead of re-engineering the original piece over and over until it fits.
A perky gathered or darted sleeve cap would actually look awesome on this pattern but it's not the look I'm going for this time.
The plan is to make it navy blue with plaid revers and red piping.
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