Space Needle Dress

Whew! The last couple weeks have been crazy, what with that wedding stuff and all!

We just got back from our trip to Seattle, WA yesterday and now I have laundry and unpacking to do, and I should probably get back to my research…

Before the wedding, when we booked our plane tickets to Seattle, Mr. Husband (formerly referred to as Mr. Fiance), requested I make a red dress for the honeymoon, specifically to wear when we ate in the revolving restaurant on top of the Space Needle (full rotation every 47 minutes, 500 ft. above ground!). I have lots of red-ish dresses, but they’re all verging on purple or wine colored, and he wanted real red. I’m not going to pass up the opportunity to buy new fabric guilt free, so I headed off to the store practically the next day. Also, I’d just gotten the new Cambie dress pattern and thought that would be a great “romantic” dress to make up.

I finished hemming the dress the day before we left

Pattern: Sewaholic’s 1202 Cambie Dress

Pattern Description: Fitted, lined dress features a sweetheart neckline, darted bodice and extended cap sleeves. View A has a slim A-line skirt with slash pockets and View B has a full gathered skirt with inseam pockets.

Pattern Sizing: 0-16, I cut a 2 at the bust then graded to a 4 at the waist and continued with the 4 in the skirt. Usually I wouldn’t do this, but modern independent patterns tend to have different sizing than the Big Companies. I am a size 4 according to the envelope (I also cut a size 4 when I made the Pendrell blouse, and wasn’t too happy with the fit, too loose), but I looked at the finished measurements and I didn’t want that much ease. Anyways, my sizing gamble totally payed off.

Not the best pictures because it was raining (of course) and the reflection on my glasses looks like I’m cross eyed

Fabric Used: Red cotton gauze, maybe not the best choice for a fitted dress but it worked in the end.

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

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes, the pictures are great, the descriptions are a little bare but I think Tasia relies on people reading her blog to get all the details. But for an experienced sewer, they work just fine.

You get boarding passes just to get on the elevator. Have to make sure everyone pays to go up, you know.

Have to show you our fancy cocktails too, they were amazing

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I like that there are two skirt options because Sewaholic patterns tend to be too girly for me, so many ruffles, and I like A-line skirts. But the top is also very flattering and the method for sewing the sleeves was great for adjusting them (I shortened them by an extra inch).

But the neckline is very hard to keep from stretching out. I meant to use some stay tape but forgot. Even still, I think I did a pretty good job keeping it from morphing and the neckline is still not great, personally I think a different dart arrangement would have worked better. And while I like the shape of the sleeve strap things and how they’re great for adjustments, they didn’t gather as much as I thought they should.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: Just the sizing change and pulling the sleeves in more. I also didn’t do an invisible zipper cause I don’t care about those (I also cause I don’t have an invisible zipper foot).

Would you sew it again? Maybe, but probably not just because it’s kindof unique.

Would you recommend it to others? Yes! Even though Sewaholic’s shtick is all about “pear” shaped people (pretty sure most women are “pear” shaped because hip measurements very often larger than bust measurements), the patterns still fit great, and I don’t consider myself “pear” shaped at all (I honestly don’t understand the body type issues people have, just go by your measurements instead of a name!).

~Molly

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