A fitting end

When I tried on my dress yesterday I was disappointed to find that, although I loved the shape of it on me, the armholes gaped badly at the bottom near the side seams. I was too tired to do anything about it by then, so I decided to wait until I’d had a night’s sleep.

Today I’ve unpicked the armhole facings, taken in the side seams by ¾", done the same to the seam facings, then sewn it all back together again. When I tried it on, I was ecstatic because the fit was perfect, and it felt so comfortable. I shall enjoy wearing it in hot weather because it’s nice and loose, although there are ties at the back to give it a bit of shape. There are also pockets in the side seams, which I love. I shall alter the paper pattern so I can use it again as often as I like, knowing it will fit.

So here is Ethel, my dressmaker’s dummy, modelling the dress for you in the early evening sunshine in the back garden. It was quite an interesting photo session because a breeze got up just as I got Ethel outside, and the dress was blowing about all over the place in the wind. I had to wait quite a while until there was a calm moment when I could take this shot. Ethel was a very good model, though, and she didn’t complain.