Moths or Butterflies?

I know there is a difference, but I can’t tell you what it is.  Moths or butterflies?  What do you think is on my newest, me-made dress?  Personally, I feel more like a moth than a butterfly these days; but as far as my dress goes, my guy says to call it a Butterfly dress because it sounds better.

I’ve been sewing a lot lately, but not a lot for myself.  I was recently looking through my outfit/sewing photos for the year and was kind of surprised about how few I have made and posted on here.  I am kind of disappointed about it, really.  I feel like I should have had a better sewing year than this.  I was all hyped up for it when the year began.  What happened?

Oh, yes, I remember.  I had some things going on earlier in the year and I kind of felt like I had hit a brick wall.  I was stressed out and very emotional.  Then, I started gaining weight, (which I still haven’t really done anything about).  All those dresses I had been making don’t fit as well as I like, and I refuse to size up my sewing patterns.  So, I kind of haven’t felt like sewing new dresses that won’t fit.  That’s really what happened to sewing for myself this year.

This dress with butterflies on it though, I took a shot at it and am happy to say that it fits alright.  I cut the pattern out last summer after falling in love with a version I saw online, and realizing I had that very same pattern myself.  I couldn’t wait to make it, but then forgot about it.  I had been holding on to this material initially hoping it would be used for something from my newly growing vintage pattern stash, but alas almost all those patterns need yards and yards and yards of fabric.  I only had 2 1/2 of this one.

I spent a good part of early Sunday going through those vintage patterns to see if there was any way I could make this fabric work for one of them.  I then gave up and went through the rest of my stash and remembered this Lisette 2209 from Simplicity.

I am happy I made it!  I even left it on once I finished it and wore it for the rest of the day.  What I like most about the pattern is that it works well with printed fabric.  It allows for the majority of the fabric design to stay intact.  And I love the V-pleat at the front.  I only scratched my head for a few seconds about how to do it while reading the directions, then it was pretty easy after that.  (I ended up marking the dart lines on both the front and the back of the material and that made it easier for me.)

I had one mess up.  I accidentally used the front skirt piece as the back.  Since my fabric design was directional, I didn’t have room for the skirt front and back to both be on the fold, so I had to put a center back seam in the back skirt.  I cut the front one in half instead.  My dress has two fronts with a seam down the back one – oops, but it works.  My darts are a little off from the skirt in the back, but I didn’t even think to notice how badly until just now when I saw the line drawing picture above.

I will be making this one again, in the same size 🙂 , and maybe even one day I will make the jacket.  I have seen a few online that came out really nicely.

Anyone else have anything to say on this dress or pattern?  I’d love to hear from you.  I am hoping for more sewing for myself in the new year.  I already made another something yesterday.  Of course, it’s another dress.

Linking up with:

Thursday Moda with Elegance and Mommyhood

Style Wise

Passion for Fashion

Top of the World Style

Style Me Wednesday

Creativity Unleashed

Wow Me Wednesday

Creative Mondays

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia (Inspire Me Monday)