Monday, December 14, 2009

In Progress: HP Uptown/Downtown Dress

and I need some suggestions!
Okay, the neckline is giving me fits and I'm thinking about just sticking some elastic in there so it'll lay flat! This is one of those patterns where, for the neckband, fabric choice is key. If it ain't stretchy enough it just ain't gonna work right. I *thought* my fabric was stretchy enough but I was sorely mistaken. The neckband on the size 20 is 10" shorter than the neckline and no matter how hard I pulled I just couldn't get it to fit. Well, I just barely made it all the way around and at the end got a tiny pleat. When I put the dress on it look horrid! It was all bunched up and the sleeves looked crazy. I'm sorry I didn't take a pic to show you. The pattern calls for rib knit for the bands and it mentions that you can use self fabric but it better have super elasticity and excellent recovery, that's all I'm sayin'. I did rip out the original neckband (ugh, dark thread on dark fabric!) and made the neckband about 6" longer. While this technically worked it makes the band stick up and I just don't care for it at all. Hence the idea for elastic or do you think it will look like crap? Please, please help! I love this fabric and hate to see it wasted.

3 comments:

Unknown said...

Hmmm. What about using a contrast fabric for the neck and armbands in a lycra knit (or ribbed knit) that has th stretchiness needed. Of course that means more ripping...

Heather said...

Yes, more ripping, but it's a good idea. Not sure what color to use. Maybe just black?

K.Line said...

OK, I made this dress and it looked WRETCHED on me. I couldn't get the ribbing to lie flat either - even though I followed the rules and redid it 3x, shortening as I went. I found the whole dress so strangely proportioned.

Eventually, I just cut the bottom from the top and gave the top to my kid (elastic still attached, rough fabric edge). She wears it to school looking totally one-shouldered Flashdance.

I remade the skirt but it still doesn't fit. Hot Patterns sizing eludes me...

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