Groovy!

I finished my Portfolio Dress yesterday!  Hurray!

front

back

I have to admit I've only tried it on with a sports bra, so I'm not really sure yet about the fit.  It is definitely a little loose, but I'm not sure if it's loose enough that I would go down one size.  This is the first non-Colette pattern I've done since I started sewing again, and it seems there is a bit more room between sizes than with Colette patterns, so the next size down may fit me more snugly than I'd like.  It's probably not the most flattering style on my pear-shaped body, but I was looking for a loose, comfy dress that I could wear with tights and boots, and this one fits the bill.  For reference, my measurements fell in the US 12/EU 38 range, so that's the size I made - it's meant to be caftan-like.

I spent all afternoon yesterday sewing this, having finished making the pattern and cutting out the fabric on Saturday.  So in all, the sewing took me about 5 hours, with short breaks for making coffee.  It was a fairly easy and straightforward pattern to sew, although the directions seemed a little "foreign" to me since I've only been using Colette patterns for the last six months.  The only part I found challenging was sewing the pink neck band onto the patterned fabric; I find it very hard to sew curves.  Oh, and also, "stitching in the ditch" is a lot easier said than done!  I had to unpick and redo in a couple of places.

neckline treatment detail

The pattern called for interfacing the yoke tab, neckline and bottom sleeve bands, but I didn't interface anything, since I was using corduroy.  It is a very lightweight corduroy, but my goal was to have a  really soft, cozy dress - I didn't want any stiffness anywhere.  I'm really glad I left the interfacing off; the fabric has enough body on its own.  I really loved sewing with it - it is so soft, and so NOT slippery!  A nice respite after the Jasmine blouse!

back neck detail

You can't see it in my photos because the fabric is so busy, but there are two good-sized pockets on the front of the dress.  The back has a simple button opening with loops, so there's no need to make buttonholes.

By the way, the color in the bottom two photos is pretty accurate.

I was anxious to finish this dress because - as I'd mentioned - my guest room is my staging area for all my sewing.  But come Friday, I'm going to be using it for guests!  So this week, all the sewing is going to get packed away into the closet.  Which means no more sewing for at least two weeks.  But maybe I can get my Wavy-Line Sweater done . . .