Rather than simply admiring new season patterns, I’m trying to make them.  Before they’re more than a year old.  So far I’m doing okay.  This is Vogue 1224.

You’ve seen the fabric before – I used up all the rest of it in this dress with not a scrap left! Because of fabric limitations and my desire to match up the skirt seams I wasn’t able to place the print colours where I’d have preferred them.  Oh well!  It’s a mystery jersey from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 per metre table. It drapes well and I suspect that it’s mostly polyester. I was a little doubtful before I made this dress, but decided to believe Vogue’s figure flattery guidelines which included a rectangular/waistless figure – like mine! And now I think that they’re right. I really like it!

I paid attention to the reviews of this pattern and lengthened the bodice one inch and the hem two inches. I also cut the neckline elastic much shorter than suggested, and think that I could still chop a couple more inches off. Rather than sew on a separate waistline casing, I sandwiched the bodice between the skirt and lining pieces, overlocked them together, then straight stitched about 3/4 of an inch further down on the skirt piece to create a casing. I left a couple of inches unstitched so that I could thread the elastic through, then stitched that piece together once it was in. Lining the skirt really makes this dress sit nicely and smooths out unwanted bulges a little.

While I don’t think it’s as flattering as Vogue 1250 it’s a highly wearable style. Although it’s a simple style, it’s drafted with that eye for something extra and fits that little bit better than other peasant-style blouses/dresses I’ve made in the past. It was also a very quick and easy make. I’ve got another Tracy Reese pattern waiting – I’ll be keeping an eye out for this designer’s patterns.