Summer Dress #2: Simplicity 3507 Little Black [Shift] Dress

A summer full of summer dresses will require more frequent summer shaving, as I realized yesterday, sporting my new above-the-knee LBD at the park. It came to me as I glanced down at my bare legs in the bright, unforgiving sun. Ewwwww.

But back to the dress. The pattern is Simplicity 3507, a junior "Project Runway" pattern. There's nothing complicated or innovative about the pattern, which results in a dress that sews together quickly and pulls on over the head -- both very good qualities in a sewing pattern, for me. I used a featherweight black polyester that I think I picked up for 50 cents/ yard at Hancock last year, intended for my use as a "wearable muslin". It has a neat texture that outweighed the chemical smell when I bought it. I'm trying really hard not to buy more fabric and to sew down my current stash, so I thought I would give this pattern a run with this crazy polyester I already had.

Notes on the process: I clearly have more to learn about bias binding, or maybe this experience is due to a polyester thing. Binding was an improvised solution for not having enough fabric to self-line the bodice. I think the binding strips were too long, and maybe I didn't stretch them enough when applying, so the neckline puckers out in the front and back. And it was awful to apply b/c the polyester ignored my iron and I had to turn under as I sewed. This binding step alone, for the neckline and armholes, probably added another hour of sewing time to the entire project.

I really like the square neckline!

As much as I may complain about the cheapness of the polyester, this is a super-comfortable dress that fit me fine right out of the pattern envelope. That is worth a lot! Full review on Simplicity 3507 at patternreview.com.

Now I'm on to Vogue 1046, which I have wanted to sew for a couple of months now. I found the weight and drape of fabric I wanted, but the print and color are not my favorite. With the big Memorial Day sale, the fabric was so affordable I got it anyway. I am pretty confident that I will wear it even if the color and print are not ideal, because the design is extra-cool. But because the fabric design is very geometric and symmetric, I will get my first taste of matching the fabric design across seams. As I am not the most patient person, this will be a challenge. But challenges motivate me, so here I go...