Teal-er Dealer

I sewed this dress about a month and a half ago.  The simplicity and elegance as it appeared on the June 2012 issue of Burda Style (pattern #119) captured my attention.  But I wished the Burda Style photographers could photograph the front and back views of this dress on the model.  The side view does not adequately reveal the slight "poof" of the sleeves and shoulders.

She reminds me of Taylor Swift.  Maybe it  is her hair...

Burda Style description:
Aphrodite Dress 119
"Love at first sight-in both the blithe beauty and her sheath dress. A second glance at the dress reveals subtle details, such as the square neckline and slight gathering at the on the hem edges of the sleeves."

Size
Burda misses' 38-46.  I sewed a "38" at the shoulders and a "40" elsewhere.

Recommended Fabrics:
Stretch lace, knits, fine jersey

Fabric I Used:
ITY knit jersey, which I also used for a Butterick 5645 knit cowl top that I posted in July.  I made this dress before the top.   

Schematic

 "Wheel-er Teal-er"

Features
* The shoulder gussets are not easily viewable on the schematic, which are the little triangles which bridge the front and back necklines.  They create the "square-ish" or boxlike appearance of the shoulders, reminiscent of dresses from the late 1980's-early 1990's.

*I like the slight "puff" at the tops of the sleeves and their elasticized hems.

*Easy to make, except for manipulating the gussets at the shoulder.  The directions mention aligning the gussets "seam marks 1 and 2" that correspond to the points on the front neckline and back neckline, respectively.  Just like at the edges of the neckline, I ironed little strips of interfacing to the edges of the gussets before pressing inwards the seam allowances.  With knits, I found it tricky to sew/topstitch those triangles at the pivot points, while making sure that even an iota of fabric does not "slip" out of place.

*The neckline was more of a bateau/boat style that reached the base of my neck, is not the most flattering on me.

*The dress was really a loose sack (reminding me of a nice, comfy beach cover-up), which prompted me to cinch the waist with a belt.


Here is a comfy, sack-like dress from Jasper Conran's Spring/Summer 2013 collection (we are just barely into the fall season!).  My dress seems to be a few inches roomier than Jasper's.

Modifications
* I performed my typical petite adjustment at the waist (shorten 3/4"), my narrow back adjustment (remove 3/8" from the center back seam at the upper back).

*I shortened the dress a few inches.


Encountering the summer wind below the shade from a tree.



If you have this issue and if you are looking for something that is overall simple to trace and sew,  I recommend giving this pattern a try.  Be prepared for extra ease and the the sack-like characteristic of the dress, which can be remedied with a belt.