Let Tree-dom Ring!

MISSES' DRESS: Close-fitting, mid-knee length, wrap dresses A, B have front pleats, back darts and flared skirt. B: three-quarter length sleeves with elbow dart and stitched hem. Purchased belt. Separate pattern pieces provided for A, B, C, D cup sizes.

Misses' 6-8-10-12. I used a "10" at the shoulders, a "12" at the shoulders and a "12" instead of a "14" elsewhere. After reading the other reviews and since I was using a knit instead of a woven, I used the next smaller size, a "12" .
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The directions are fine, especially if you are familiar with sewing wrap dresses with a bodice and full skirt. Since I was making a knit wrap dress with ties, I did not follow the directions after sewing the pleats below the front shoulders and the 4 back darts. So I skipped the directions that pertained to attaching bias binding to the neckline (suitable for wovens) and attaching a ribbon and a hook/eye at the waist (no use of self-fabric ties).


From "The Bachelor", season 15, last spring, here are Chantal, Emily, and Ashley.  Despite commentaries about Chantal's tangerine wrap dress being outdated (there was one saying that she remembered her third grade teacher wearing it back in 2003!!), non-trendy, unattractive, and so on, I preferred it over the what Emily and Ashley wore here during the "rose" ceremony.  Wrap dresses flatter any figure.

Fabric
Polyester knit jersey from emmaonesock.com two years ago

Favorite and Not-so-favorite Features
* It is a simple dress to make, but if you are looking for a stylish wrap dress, I prefer the popular DVF-styled Vogue 8379 wrap dress

*I like the drape of the knit coupled with the style of the "circle" skirt, but not the time it took to hem and topstitch it. Just when I thought I was "nearly done" topstitching the skirt's hem, I was surprised to discover that I was not even halfway done!

"Been O-Round the Twirled"

*I was forewarned about the neckline's behavior by QuiltQuiltSewSue's PR review. Although I did not see anything wrong about her sleek sleeveless dress, Sue provided her helpful input that was not apparent from just looking at the pattern envelope. I also anticipate that the neckline might gape and be quite a bit low-cut or what I describe as the "deep rippling effect".

*The neckline was somewhat floppy despite raising the neckline on the pattern piece before cutting

*Since the bodice appears to run a tad short, I thought I could do away with my usual 1" petite adjustment between the bust and hips. However when trying on the dress for fitting at several instances, I notice that the waistline seam of the front bodice "droops" which would seem to be remedied by the 1" adjustment. But fortunately the droop can be easily camouflaged by the waist ties. The back's length was fine.


Modifications/Alterations
* I was not able to cut the front skirt pieces in a "12" due to the pattern piece ot fitting on the fold of fabric no matter how I positioned it on the fabric. To be able to cut the entire front pieces from the fabric, I cut 3 sizes smaller (from a "12" to "6"), which most likely helped reduced some ease but not detract significantly from "fullness" achieved from a "circle" skirt.

*To raise the neckline, I added 1" to the center front of the bodice pattern piece, tapering to 0" at the shoulders and at the waist.

*Because it drooped hours after topstitching,  I added, as a quick fix, 1/8" elastic to the neckline  to the inside or wrong side of the dress, stretching a little while stitching. Then I turned in about a 1/2" hem, encasing the elastic and topstitched. 

*Upper back petite adjustment (1")

*Due to a fabric shortage, I shortened the sleeves. 
*Instead of "setting in" the sleeves, I sew them in "flat" to the armscyes, before sewing the sleeve seams and side seams as one "continuous" seam.

* Replaced the hook and eyes, and internal ribbon with self-fabric ties at each front. At the right seam just above the waist/skirt seam, I left an opening for the left tie to enter and wrap around to the left front. 

*Topstitched the front ends and the neckline instead of using bias binding per the instructions. Due to the stability of the knit I was using, I was able to forego the use of "extra treatment" on the neckline.

*I removed 3" from the length of the skirt.

Just outside a local restaurant for a July the 4th breakfast.  Picture taken by my husband.

Wrap Up
I am not sure if I will see sew another dress from this pattern. "So many patterns, sew little time...". 
I recommend this pattern because it is simple to construct, paying attention to the neckline and sizing. It has a potential of being a nice "go-to" or TNT pattern.

Have a very nice 4th of July!