G'day! It's Ari from Max California!
I was lucky enough to be asked by Jill if I wanted to review a pattern for Selfish Sewing week and after choosing the Angie Dress, donated by The Scientific Seamstress
I immediately thought about how I could make it my own. I love pretty dresses and high heels, I don't get a chance to wear them very often but I still love them! And it has been a really long time that I have sewn anything for myself that needed darts. As soon as I thought about sewing a dress up for myself, I immediately thought that I didn't have a Wednesday Addams-style dress anymore and I really needed one. All I had to do was self-draft a collar for the Angie Dress and I had a sure thing!
Not going to lie I as actually extremely nervous and stressed out sewing this up. I didn't want to screw up and I didn't want to look like an idiot, since people mostly follow my blog for my kids and not for me! The inside of my dress has bits of honey and butter on it, as I cleverly left it on the kitchen counter one night while pinning the neckline and the following morning it half turned into breakfast for the children. Mum life, right?
The Angie Dress by Sis Boom is a nice simple sew and with no closures it is fuss-free! I was a bit worried about how it would fit, since I am used to snug fitting bodices, however after sewing it all up I decided that I really love this pattern! There are darts in the front and back bodice, and inseam pockets in the skirt. The neckline and armholes are faced with bias-binding which is a cool technique - you can choose to have the bias tape on the inside and hidden (like I did) or have it on the outside as a feature. There are three different necklines and a variety of different skirt lengths. I chose the high neckline and made the skirt hit me just above my knee. There is also a sash option which I omitted from my dress.
I chose a basic black broadcloth for the dress, and a white drill that I had in my scraps for the collar. The collar is only on the front, I basted it to the front bodice at the neckline and stitched the ends into the shoulder seams before I finished the neckline as instructed. My measurements set me in the size M range, and although the darts sit a little high on me personally (hello breastfeeding-two-children-boobs) it wouldn't be difficult to adjust for future dresses.
I recieved this pattern to review for Selfish Sewing week, so all opinions are my own! Now go forth and make your own Angie Dress! I think I need to counter my Wednesday Addams style with another dress in something like - floral, what do you think?
You can come over to Max California to see more pics, and some outtakes too.
Disclosure: I received this pattern free as part of Selfish Sewing Week. All opinions my own.
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Thank you for sewing up the Sis Boom Angie Dress for us, Ari! And thank you, to The Scientific Seamstress for donating the pattern for Selfish Sewing Week. I love your version, Ari. It's so classy, and so you all at the same time.
Have you seen what is going on over at imagine gnats?
Make sure you are uploading pictures of your Selfish Sewing to the Selfish Sewing FlickR pool as you sew this week. And don't forget to enter the contest below to win one of 8 different patterns featured during Selfish Sewing Week!
Pop in and give a big thank you to our fabulous pattern prize donors:
Grainline Studios:Maritime Shorts
Waffle Patterns:Caramel Short Duffle Jacket
Shop Design Fixation:Uptown Dress
SewaholicRenfrew Top
Cake Patterns: Red Velvet Dress, release date: 9/26
Dixie DIY: Movies in the Park Shorts
The Scientific Seamstress: Sis Boom Angie Dress
imagine gnats: The Bess Top
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