All Dressed Up

I've been on a bit of a rampage lately. It seems like every other day I'm swept away by a desire to sew a garment, mostly for myself, of course. First there was my foray into my most beloved pattern, Burda 7798. I made it as a top, then a dress, then (here's the revelation part) another dress, then another dress for my middle girl and yet another for my daughter's friend. Yes, that's right, I love this dress so much that I'm making it for somebody else's daughter. And don't think I haven't tried to convince my eldest that she would look fabulous in one of these dresses. "Just pick out some fabric," I plead, " I'll even pay for it." So far she's resisting me. But that's OK because while she ponders whether or not she wants us to appear in public sporting identical frocks, I've been busy making Amy Butler's Anna Tunic as a dress.


The pattern can be made as a cami, tunic, or dress. I opted for the latter and I'm very happy with the final product. I'm definitely making this pattern again, though I did find the dress a little big and will probably size the pattern down to the small size. I've made another Amy Butler pattern before and am so impressed with the detailed instructions and the attention to ensuring that the item is beautifully crafted both inside and out. Her patterns are more expensive that most, but absolutely worth it.


I've also recently sewn the Built by Wendy pattern, Simplicity 3835, again, surprisingly, as a dress. Here too I'd made the top and decided to tackle the dress. I opted to keep the raglan sleeves rather than the sleeves/neck finishing that the pattern calls for. This dress is OK, but not a stunner. I can see wearing it to putter around, but I'm not wowed with the results. I'm not as down on it as my eldest, who described it as a nightgown, but I'm not bubbling over with excitement.


Despite any disappointments I'm so enjoying making these that I seem to be spending a fair amount of time trying to figure out when I can squeeze in a few minutes to cut out the next pattern. In fact I was looking through some of the pattern books the other day and was elated to see so many wonderful dress patterns. I am obviously not done with this particular obsession.