Vogue 1182 by Kay Unger.....Drum Roll Please!!!

Well,I'm ready for the reveal of my Vogue 1182.Just to remind you here is the pattern.



As I've said before,this is my Mother-of-the Groom dress. My youngest child Jeff is getting married on Sunday in Ottawa. I could have had this dress finished long before now ,but I chose to take my time with it and to take breaks from it. Without further ado! Voila! I love it!



The Fabric
The colour is exactly what I envisioned but unfortunately,I couldn't find a silk dupionni that was anywhere near this shade. I had to settle for a polyester shantung. The weight is about that of a taffeta and worked really well with this style..For lining,I used a silk /cotton.

The Style
This pattern by Kay Unger is very well thought out for a woman with a figure problem or two.(note the draping above the waist)

Level of Difficulty
This is not a pattern for a beginner.The directions are quite hard to follow.If there's anyone out there who is planning on making this,I would be more than happy to help.I spent a considerable amount of time figuring out the steps!


What I liked about the pattern
1.The armholes are just right---not too low,not too high.But I did have to run a line of stay stitching along the back of the armhole to make it fit closer to the body. To see how I do this ,look here.

2.The collar sits very nicely and is well drafted.But I did have to run a line of stitching on the outside under the collar so the lining wouldn't peek out.





3.The neckline is not extremely low.ButI did cut it about an inch higher tapering to nothing by the neck at the shoulder.

4.It is true to size. I usually cut a size 12 with extra at the side seams,but this fabric has no give so instead of the extra at the side seams,I cut a size 14 front and size 12 back and I really love the fit.

It's really rare that I'm completely satisfied with one of my creations and this time is no exception because there are a couple of things about this pattern that I didn't like.

1.The slit at the back does not include a facing and next time I would add one.

2. The length of the dress is not the length given at the back of the pattern envelope.which says that the length from base of neck to hemline is 38".Not so at all. I trusted the pattern but after putting the dress together and realizing that it is shorter than I'd like ,I measured and the pattern piece is only 36" before hemming!1Grrr!!I faced the hem but ,it's still too short.




This is what I did for a Full Bust Adjustment and it worked just fine.I really didn't have a clue what else to do.The photo also shows the addition to the neckline




Advice
Make a sample garment before cutting into your good fabric. I did ,but only to just below the hip.That's why I didn't notice the length.

Well.my husband just took a couple of pics but it's dark now and the lighting is not great but here I am at last in my Mother-of-the-Groom dress.





Now I have to finish packing as we're leaving tomorrow for Ottawa.I don't know if I'm more excited about my baby boy getting married or seeing little Riley???

So thanks in advance for any comments ,good or bad you might have on my dress. It was a challenge but I enjoyed it immensely.