Take Two with Butterick 5815

Alie & Trixie's "batwing" sleeved dress. From my viewpoint, its sleeves have that "petal" style, where one end of the sleeve overlaps the other end.

The "petal" sleeves give some character to Butterick 5815's dress and tops.

Description
Misses' Top, Tunic, and Dress: Loose-fitting, pullover top, tunic or dress has very narrow hem finish on neckline and sleeves and shaped, back overlapped sleeves. Sizes: Misses' 8-10-12-14-16.  I sewed a "12".    

     

Fabric
First version (muslin) in a top:
Printed cotton from W-M. It was advantageous to use the "tape measure" print as a guide for cutting and stitching. The inspirational R. Kelly song about "flying" comes to mind.

 

Second version in a dress:
"From Nicole Miller, this conversation-starter is a beautiful blouseweight silk jacquard printed with a lively tribute to New Orleans, with everything from Mardi Gras, to Jazz, to Royal Street and much more. The jacquard weave is just the designer's name and is very subtle. Multicolor on a black background, drapey, lightweight but not sheer. Perfect for a blouse, top, tunic, dress or a surprising coat lining. Dry cleaning recommended".(emmaonesock.com website)

"Party Gras"

 

Prior to cutting:

 

Favorite/Not-So-Favorite Features

My favorite feature of this pattern is the overlapped sleeves that have what seems to be the equivalent of elongated "petal" sleeves that move nicely with silky-textured fabrics.

I like the neckline as it appears on the envelope, but not how it actually appeared on me immediately after sewing all the seams of my first version.

Narrow hems prevail in this style (neckline, front/back sleeves). I felt that the narrow hems on the neckline could have been replaced with self-facings to eliminate the "ripple effect" on the bias cut of the fabric. But on the other hand, avoiding the self-facing reduces extra fabric, simplifying further the construction, especially where the sleeves/armscyes are concerned.

The pattern did not fit me "out of the envelope" or as drafted. It seemed to be drafted for a person with very wide shoulders. For me, certain modifications were necessary to reduce the excess ease causing the troublesome gaping at the back just below the neckline and at the front neckline. When I pinched out 2 darts with width about ¾" at the neckline and nearly 3" from the center of the upper back, the gaping disappeared. On my muslin, I pinched out a 1 1/2" wedge from the center of the upper back, tapering to 0" above the waist and a 1" wedge from the front center.


Directions
They were fine with the accompanying diagrams. The large and small circles were essential to overlap and baste together the front and back "extensions" and also to overlap the front over the back of the sleeve. While cutting the fabric pieces, I cut out small and large triangular notches in place of marking/chalking the circles onto the fabric. It was easier to align the notches, instead of having to align markings that were difficult to locate on heavily printed and/or dark-colored fabric.


Modifications
Top
Typical petite adjustment at the waist.
Added a band to the bottom.

Dress
Applied the modifications I used while fitting the top to the pattern pieces before cutting the fabric for the dress.

Typical petite adjustment at the waist.

Sewed the front to the back of the sleeve in a French seam, since the inner seam of the front and back sleeve can be visible from raising the arms

Due to fabric constraints, I shortened each sleeve 1".

 

For shoe fanatics (I am not much of one) or those who are interested, I purchased these comfortable platform shoes at Ideeli.com, where special sales last for a day:

Conclusion
It seemed that the adjustments I made would have been equivalent to sewing the dress 2 pattern sizes smaller based on the finished garment measurements. The amount of excess ease is the only reservation for this pattern. It is a wise idea to sew a muslin before delving into pricier fabric.

"Stand Back", it is the reigning "Queen of Butterfly and Bell Sleeves"