Ottobre 5.2015 #8 "Solid and Striped"

Don't let that moiré pattern make you dizzy!

This dress began with a micro-striped jersey that just seemed to be meant for a raglan or a style with a somewhat similar sleeve. This top in my Ottobre library was the easy winner. The saddle shoulder avoids the dart from neck to shoulder that raglans generally have. 

Although the top could have just been lengthened and the width at the hip adjusted to fit fairly easily, there was a variation of this basic pattern in the same magazine that was a long cardigan with a shaped center back seam. Ottobre collections are often like this, which makes it easy to mix and match the features of related garments to make exactly what you want. 

Combining the two views made my design changes even easier with the added benefit that my dress has the refinement of a little shaping in the back. It makes the dress just a tad less tent-like than what it would have been without the seam. I also shortened the sleeves so they would be elbow length.

Since the stripe in this fabric was so tiny, I didn't make any effort to match across the center back seam.

showing the basic sleeve shape

Here are some views of the shoulder seams. I thought that years ago these saddle shoulders were also called "magyar", but when I google that term now, I don't see this style at all. 

The fabric has two layers to it, giving it a bit more heft and making it better for this simple dress than thin jersey.

I like this a lot! Soft, cozy, comfortable to wear. It pairs well with the Burda jean jacket I made last month. The two understated and neutral patterns look kind of playful together. 

Love Notions Tidal

This pattern was purchased specifically because of a video posted by Karina Trinidad to her channel Lifting Pins & Needles. I really like interesting back views and loved the chevron effect in the back that she demonstrated. 

Tidal is a fit & flare type of style without side seams. The back pieces wrap around to meet the front forming princess seams. It's an interesting design.

Once I had the pattern I was on the lookout for something stripey to make the back chevrons. This ITY from Fabric Mart was appealing with the scrolling paisley design. Another YouTube style influencer has recently advised in one of her "how not to look old/frumpy" videos to quit wearing paisley, but there are really a limited number of print motifs that I like and paisley is one of them. In fact, there's another paisley dress on the cutting table right now. 😄 Us old hippies will never give it up.

Changes to the pattern: my measurements would have put me in a L, but I sized up because I do not like negative ease and cut an XL, blending to 2X at the hip. Raised the neckline (which is very scooped) 3/4 inch and lowered the bust point 5/8". I also added 6-1/2" to the sleeves so that they would be elbow length.

This poor old dress form is not even doing a good job for display any more. It won't stay at the height that matches mine, so the photos show how it would look on someone about 4 inches shorter. It also has the upper body longer on one side than the other because it can't maintain the settings for the waist length on one side. And the ITY really shows off every pointy angle where its circumference has been adjusted. Maybe I'll get motivated to figure out a routine for taking selfies wearing my stuff.

The back view that inspired this dress

I do like the way this dress looks and feels when wearing it and could see making it again, but not with the chevrons. That would be too recognizable as the same pattern. The maxi/tank version could be very nice.

After decades of never even considering a dress or skirt, I am on a dress making binge. They are what I want to wear now. There are more on the way!