PM: Jersey Dress COMPLETED

I've been quiet on the Project Maternity front for too long, in the words of Blink 182: "Work Sucks, I know"

What doesn't suck is this dress:

I'm not that keen on the colour, the green is a lot duller than I'd first intended. The pattern I butchered was from Burda Style magazine, it's not been published on this website yet, when it is I'll post a link.

As you can see I completely changed the pattern around, I got rid of that collar because I don't have time to learn how to do collars... I'm GROWING!! I also modified the sleeves, to make them the more summer-friendly tent sleeve shape.

How I did it:

• I traced the pattern pieces from the Burda Style Pattern Sheet.
• I used this great technique on burdastyle on how to create a Tent Sleeve (thankyou BurdaStyle member sunnie for contributing this technique)
• I modified the front pattern piece by performing a full tummy adjustment, with the effect of lengthening the front hem
• I cut the fabric, but as I said I was omitting the collar so I just cut the front piece on the fold and rounded off the neckline at this stage.
• I redrew the neckline on the fabric and after checking it was symmetrical and giving myself a seam allowance for the ruffle, I cut the new neckline.
• I drafted my pattern for my ruffle. Ruffles can be made lots of different ways A separate tutorial for how I did this collar ruffle is coming soon!
• I serged the edges of the sleeves and the ruffle using a 3 thread setting so that the weight of a hem wouldn't ruin the drape.
• I constructed the garment with my serger, on a 4 thread setting, in this order:
  (1) attach front piece to back piece at shoulder seams
  (2) sew on sleeves.
  (3) sew sides together with seams that run from end of sleeve to bottom hem.
  (4) attach ruffle collar as you would a facing - right side of ruffle facing wrong side of dress - use regular sewing machine on zig-zag setting.
  (5) finish hem by turning over twice, pressing and zig-zag stitching.

In retrospect, I think this dress is probably still too big. I think the pattern I cut was too big in the first place, but actually that's completely welcome in the heatwave we're having in the UK, and my classroom is so hot too!! Not to mention the fact that I am growing! I love the sleeves, I think some kind of interfacing around the collar would be a good idea as it feels a bit shapeless. I think the hem should be shorter... but then what is the appropriate hem length for a pregnant lady?

I wish I was better at modelling...