I LOVE that dress! The shoulder pleats are beautiful. The fabric is lovely. I liked it better after you took in the sides and altered the shoulders. Great job! My general rule of thumb when I wonder if I'm being picky is that if I notice it, don't like it, it's all I notice, and therefore I'm not going to wear it- then I need to alter it.
You are not alone on this one. I stuggled with how volumous it was. I took out at least 6 inches on the skirt and about 4 inches from the top. I hated where the ruffled sleeve hit and took them off all together and adjusted the top of the arm hole. I am impressed with your final dress. Beautiful summer dress.
So helpful, thank you for sharing your review & sew-a-long. I am waiting for my pattern to arrive so have been watching a few videos for. So far 2 makers have brought the neck to shoulder in a little & adjusted the armhole/sleeve to match - I think it's part a design feature and then how you like things to fit. I recently made a super baggy dress and thought I had made the right call on size, however, the ease was insanely huge. . I am newish to returning to sewing but I think its a case by case thing dep on pattern. I started sewing too because I am short waisted and more petite on top with curvier hips so having to adjust most items - I guess it's a learning opportunity.
I’m so glad you altered the sleeves it looks so much better. I’d love to know how you did that so please make a video. It really looks beautiful on you 😊
Beautiful dress Delilah! I Love the shoulder pleats! I learned so much with this video, thanks for sharing all your steps & changes. I need to get a rolled hem foot for hemming. Off to watch your tutorial on gathering with your serger!
It looks great. I think you’re right, on the Mccalls loose fitting dress you should go 2 sizes smaller. I’m working on Mccalls 7742 and according to the pattern I cut a medium but it’s huge. I took out 3 inches on each side and it’s still big. I’m hoping when I add the sleeves it will be ok.
A helpful tip. I've made this mistake before as sometimes the pattern looks like it is a closer fit on the image but then turns out to be enormous when I make what should be the correct size. I am going to focus on finished garment measurements and also those numbers on the pattern pieces for actual size so I can adjust. I'm returning to sewing so still making loose-ish fit things but my passion is 50's style fit/flare so I am hoping to get better at tailoring/fit.
This is what I was looking for when I found your helpful pattern review. I love this pattern. I'm so excited to figure out what you did to your sleeves to fix the Problem. I have narrow shoulders and I have that problem with ready to wear all the time . I'm a large person that's why I need this.Great idea the pleats. Love it.
Your dress is cute! I've learned the hard way to measure where the shoulder point is to make sure it's what I want. I know a dropped shoulder is popular right now, but it's not a look I prefer in a dress. Love your fabric choice!!
I love this dress just got the pattern, I was going to make a size 22 as got big hips, but after measuring myself and watching your video think a size 20 will be big enough even for a 40DD bust. Loved your video,it has helped me understand the sizing better thank you x
It turned out beautiful!!!!! Thanks for the sew-along. I am planning to make this dress with some really expensive fabric so glad I watched. Def need to toile it first.
I am so glad I watched you construct this dress because I plan to make it in a size 14. Apparently, by the looks of it, that it runs a bit large. So I will take some clues from your experience, and be mindful of them when I construct my dress. By the way I really like your vlog and tutorials.
Well done on the fit alterations! I love the print you used, I'm a sucker for a ditzy print. I made this pattern too and found that the bodice didn't fit at all, so I ended up using a different one. And you were so smart to add pockets! It's a beautiful dress. I'm doing a l-o-n-g bottom ruffle right now on a dress and I tried your method of gathering with my serger. I like it a lot, works great!
I always start in the middle too. Have been doing that for 50 some years. I notice this is not mentioned in a lot of the current pattern instructions, but it used to be. Also pinking shears were staples years ago. They work great.
Yes I agree! I always sew tutorials on clipping edges with regular scissors but I find the pinking sheers to work better and in fact I got my first pair of pinking sheers from my grandmother 👵
I LOVE how you showed your process! I agree with the taking in of the shoulder seams. I was getting a larger size pattern to accommodate my bust when I needed a smaller pattern to fit my frame. (I really need to try a FBA!) But this pattern is loose fitting and your process really worked to get the look you wanted! Super cute! And the fabric looks like a Tana Lawn from liberty! Beautiful!
Cute dress Delilah! Great save on the sleeves. I think the extra weight of the gathers on the sleeve head may have caused a little of the drop on the shoulders.
Yes it is a beautiful dress. I too have used the wrong size in the recent past, and my shoulder sleeve always drooped off my shoulder. Now i go to a smaller size but I must put in a FBA. That is the only way for patterns to fit my body. Yeah. It turned out. Cute. Good job.
It looks wonderful! And nice job on fixing the sleeves! Would you make a video showing how you did that. I have come across that problem but I can’t figure out how to fix it and so I just wear the dresses with the sleeves hanging down, and it’s not a pleasant look! Thank you!
I just made this dress for the second time . I did size down and even though I made mine sleeveless I took an inch off the shoulder armhole . And instead of a facing I lined the bodice . Yours is beautiful I may have to make another with puffy sleeves
You didn’t tell us how you fixed the sleeves. Did you cut the bodice down a size? Tell me more about the elastic at the waist. When did you add the elastic and why?
I’m sorry… I just sewed in about 1” on each side at the bodice… I showed a little bit about that. But you’re right…I left out the about the clear elastic. Adding clear elastic to the bodice just helps it keep its structure better.
I've learned so much watching this...thank you! The dress is so pretty! When you use the serger to gather the tiers, how do you get the gathers to fit the bodice? Can you tighten the gathers after taking the fabric off of the serger? I have never used the serger to gather but it seems like a wonderful alternative if I can wrap my head around how it works...
I think because you use the sleeves from a different style pattern, you need to copy the shape of the armholes of the M8306. Anyway, I like the color of your fabric. Thanks for sharing.
If that shoulder seam thing happens again. Take a piece of knit elastic thst is smaller than thr space in question and stretch and stitch it on that seam to bring it in to where you'd like for it to be. In essence, it'll shrink up. or make the area fit. better. I've tried it and it works.
I love your dress! I’m working on mine now, but did the pleats in the skirt version. Husband says it looks big though… do you think adding elastic in waist will mess up the look of the pleats in the skirt?
You’re WAY too small to ever use a size 18! Basically, you should always use the same size in a given pattern company. Different companies may vary in sizing, but you should find a base size in each company and stick with that.The difference in finished garment measurements within the same company is based on the DESIGN of the garment. It should never make you vary from your base size. Different designs allow for differing amounts of ease. You look like you should be using a 14 for your base size. ( I gasp every video when you say you chose a size 18 for a garment! 🙀) The only other thing that will affect your fit is whether you’re using a knit or a woven fabric. Since knits have much more give than woven, it can make a garment appear larger or looser if you’re not using a design for knits only. I’ve been making all my clothes since I was about 12 and have taught sewing and quilting for many years. I love your videos! They are so inspirational. I’m always discovering patterns I had never noticed until seeing them made up! You have a really good eye for picking the fabric for your patterns. Keep up the good work! Look forward to all your videos. 💕💕💕
Thank. you!! i always worry that its going to be too tight but then I end up wasting so much time grading it in! hopefully I can learn! Thanks for watching 😊
I think I have seen more flattering dresses on you. The neck line looks just too high. Even when you compare it to the red dress..the model's collar bones are showing.
@@SimplyDelilah I’m a total newbie and I successfully made one. There’s plenty of TH-cam videos on this. I’m a DD 36 and a 1 inch is plenty for me. You can totally do it. Give it a try.❤️
I LOVE that dress! The shoulder pleats are beautiful. The fabric is lovely. I liked it better after you took in the sides and altered the shoulders. Great job! My general rule of thumb when I wonder if I'm being picky is that if I notice it, don't like it, it's all I notice, and therefore I'm not going to wear it- then I need to alter it.
Exactly! If I don’t feel good in it then it will just sit in the back of the closet!
You are not alone on this one. I stuggled with how volumous it was. I took out at least 6 inches on the skirt and about 4 inches from the top. I hated where the ruffled sleeve hit and took them off all together and adjusted the top of the arm hole. I am impressed with your final dress. Beautiful summer dress.
thank you!
So helpful, thank you for sharing your review & sew-a-long. I am waiting for my pattern to arrive so have been watching a few videos for. So far 2 makers have brought the neck to shoulder in a little & adjusted the armhole/sleeve to match - I think it's part a design feature and then how you like things to fit. I recently made a super baggy dress and thought I had made the right call on size, however, the ease was insanely huge. . I am newish to returning to sewing but I think its a case by case thing dep on pattern. I started sewing too because I am short waisted and more petite on top with curvier hips so having to adjust most items - I guess it's a learning opportunity.
Happy that you made your dress smaller and I loved the ditsy fabric. You have a lovely Spring dress to wear!
Thank you! 😊
Hi. Pretty fabric. I have that pattern and will have to make it for the future. Thank you for sharing 👌.
I’m so glad you altered the sleeves it looks so much better. I’d love to know how you did that so please make a video. It really looks beautiful on you 😊
Thank you!
Beautiful dress Delilah! I Love the shoulder pleats! I learned so much with this video, thanks for sharing all your steps & changes. I need to get a rolled hem foot for hemming. Off to watch your tutorial on gathering with your serger!
thank you for watching. i'm glad you find them helpful
It turned out great!
thank you!
It looks great. I think you’re right, on the Mccalls loose fitting dress you should go 2 sizes smaller. I’m working on Mccalls 7742 and according to the pattern I cut a medium but it’s huge. I took out 3 inches on each side and it’s still big. I’m hoping when I add the sleeves it will be ok.
Yes I hope you get a really good dress (crossing fingers)
A helpful tip. I've made this mistake before as sometimes the pattern looks like it is a closer fit on the image but then turns out to be enormous when I make what should be the correct size. I am going to focus on finished garment measurements and also those numbers on the pattern pieces for actual size so I can adjust. I'm returning to sewing so still making loose-ish fit things but my passion is 50's style fit/flare so I am hoping to get better at tailoring/fit.
This is what I was looking for when I found your helpful pattern review. I love this pattern. I'm so excited to figure out what you did to your sleeves to fix the
Problem. I have narrow shoulders and I have that problem with ready to wear all the time . I'm a large person that's why I need this.Great idea the pleats. Love it.
Glad it was helpful! 😊
Your dress is so pretty! Looks so much better after altering the shoulders. Such pretty fabric. Fun vlog!
Thank you!
It's a beautiful dress, you made a good job of changing it so it feels comfortable
Thank you’
Your dress is cute! I've learned the hard way to measure where the shoulder point is to make sure it's what I want. I know a dropped shoulder is popular right now, but it's not a look I prefer in a dress. Love your fabric choice!!
Yes I am having the same issue I will have to measure that for sure
I love this dress just got the pattern, I was going to make a size 22 as got big hips, but after measuring myself and watching your video think a size 20 will be big enough even for a 40DD bust. Loved your video,it has helped me understand the sizing better thank you x
Wonderful! yes I think this does run big...it doesn't have darts either so keep that in mind! thank you for watching!
It turned out beautiful!!!!! Thanks for the sew-along. I am planning to make this dress with some really expensive fabric so glad I watched. Def need to toile it first.
Good luck on your dress! It’s a fun pattern!
I am so glad I watched you construct this dress because I plan to make it in a size 14. Apparently, by the looks of it, that it runs a bit large. So I will take some clues from your experience, and be mindful of them when I construct my dress. By the way I really like your vlog and tutorials.
oh thank you so much for stopping by! glad i could help a little and best wishes on your upcoming dress!
Well done on the fit alterations! I love the print you used, I'm a sucker for a ditzy print. I made this pattern too and found that the bodice didn't fit at all, so I ended up using a different one. And you were so smart to add pockets! It's a beautiful dress. I'm doing a l-o-n-g bottom ruffle right now on a dress and I tried your method of gathering with my serger. I like it a lot, works great!
Yeah I cannot imagine gathering the Fabric any other way!
You fixed it ! and it looks great . I like this type of sew along thanks Delilah
Yay! Thank you!
Perfect!
thank you!
I always start in the middle too. Have been doing that for 50 some years. I notice this is not mentioned in a lot of the current pattern instructions, but it used to be. Also pinking shears were staples years ago. They work great.
Yes I agree! I always sew tutorials on clipping edges with regular scissors but I find the pinking sheers to work better and in fact I got my first pair of pinking sheers from my grandmother 👵
@@SimplyDelilah I had a feeling a grandmother was involved.
I LOVE how you showed your process! I agree with the taking in of the shoulder seams. I was getting a larger size pattern to accommodate my bust when I needed a smaller pattern to fit my frame. (I really need to try a FBA!) But this pattern is loose fitting and your process really worked to get the look you wanted! Super cute! And the fabric looks like a Tana Lawn from liberty! Beautiful!
thank you! i purchased the fabric from fabric.com and today they are having "act fast" sale...its my weekness..I have to stay off that website.
Love your dress . I loved seeing how you were able to do the alterations on it . Great fit 👏🏻
Thank you!
Cute dress Delilah! Great save on the sleeves. I think the extra weight of the gathers on the sleeve head may have caused a little of the drop on the shoulders.
oh that is also a good point! thank you!
That’s a beautiful dress!..its looks great on you👍🏼
Thank you!
Thank you! Super love this pattern and I appreciate the link to your fabric source.
You are so welcome! thanks for watching 😊
Yes it is a beautiful dress. I too have used the wrong size in the recent past, and my shoulder sleeve always drooped off my shoulder. Now i go to a smaller size but I must put in a FBA. That is the only way for patterns to fit my body. Yeah. It turned out. Cute. Good job.
Yep this is all coming back to me because I had this issue last year when I made a bunch of summer dresses with woven fabric! Thanks for watching 😊
Loved it!
Thanh you!
Love this dress!
Thank you! 😊
Looks very nice on you. The pleats were a great idea!
Oh thank you!
It looks wonderful! And nice job on fixing the sleeves!
Would you make a video showing how you did that. I have come across that problem but I can’t figure out how to fix it and so I just wear the dresses with the sleeves hanging down, and it’s not a pleasant look! Thank you!
Great idea! I should make a video on tricks and hacks! thank you
It looks good, I like the color too.
thank you!
Your dress looks great
I just made this dress for the second time . I did size down and even though I made mine sleeveless I took an inch off the shoulder armhole . And instead of a facing I lined the bodice . Yours is beautiful I may have to make another with puffy sleeves
lining the bodice sounds like a great idea!
Thank you so much 😀
Sweet
thank you!
This dress is absolutely beautiful love it ♥️
Thank you! 😊
You didn’t tell us how you fixed the sleeves. Did you cut the bodice down a size? Tell me more about the elastic at the waist. When did you add the elastic and why?
I’m sorry… I just sewed in about 1” on each side at the bodice… I showed a little bit about that. But you’re right…I left out the about the clear elastic. Adding clear elastic to the bodice just helps it keep its structure better.
This link shows me adding the clear elastic to a different dress and explained why th-cam.com/video/yeoIvQdhupE/w-d-xo.html
I've learned so much watching this...thank you! The dress is so pretty! When you use the serger to gather the tiers, how do you get the gathers to fit the bodice? Can you tighten the gathers after taking the fabric off of the serger? I have never used the serger to gather but it seems like a wonderful alternative if I can wrap my head around how it works...
Hi. I don’t mess with the gathers after running it through the serger. I have a video on it that I will try to get the link for..:
@@SimplyDelilah Thank you!! I found the link! :-) th-cam.com/video/d-vvbzPFvEM/w-d-xo.html
That’s a very pretty dress! Thanks for sharing.
I'm glad you like it...thanks so much for watching.
I think because you use the sleeves from a different style pattern, you need to copy the shape of the armholes of the M8306. Anyway, I like the color of your fabric. Thanks for sharing.
Well it did seem like something was off…
If that shoulder seam thing happens again. Take a piece of knit elastic thst is smaller than thr space in question and stretch and stitch it on that seam to bring it in to where you'd like for it to be. In essence, it'll shrink up. or make the area fit. better. I've tried it and it works.
that is a great idea! thank you!
I always have a problem with where the sleeves should sit on the shoulder. A veteran sewer said you should cut the sleeves one size smaller.
that is a good tip! I think i will start doing that.
@@SimplyDelilah I meant cut the armhole of the front and back pieces of patterns one size smaller. Hope it does the trick👍
I love your dress! I’m working on mine now, but did the pleats in the skirt version. Husband says it looks big though… do you think adding elastic in waist will mess up the look of the pleats in the skirt?
yes i kinda think that will mess up the look but you could also just reattach the bodice with gathers
Hi Delilah. What's the dress at 11 mins? I love it. Tried a google image search but it didn't come up. Thanks, Kat
hi, that one is a ready to wear dress that I used as an example on how the sleeves fit.
How to you keep the inside edge that you cut with the pinking shears from unraveling?
when you cut fabric with pinking shears it does not fray...that is one of the purposes of using pinking sheers 😊
@@SimplyDelilah thank you! I’m sewing with linen and it frays so easily, I was worried about leaving an un-serged edge
I think the shoulder is too low it needs to come in
Yes I agree! I think it looks better in the end..
Yes its too baggy.
You’re WAY too small to ever use a size 18! Basically, you should always use the same size in a given pattern company. Different companies may vary in sizing, but you should find a base size in each company and stick with that.The difference in finished garment measurements within the same company is based on the DESIGN of the garment. It should never make you vary from your base size. Different designs allow for differing amounts of ease. You look like you should be using a 14 for your base size. ( I gasp every video when you say you chose a size 18 for a garment! 🙀) The only other thing that will affect your fit is whether you’re using a knit or a woven fabric. Since knits have much more give than woven, it can make a garment appear larger or looser if you’re not using a design for knits only.
I’ve been making all my clothes since I was about 12 and have taught sewing and quilting for many years. I love your videos! They are so inspirational. I’m always discovering patterns I had never noticed until seeing them made up! You have a really good eye for picking the fabric for your patterns. Keep up the good work! Look forward to all your videos. 💕💕💕
Thank. you!! i always worry that its going to be too tight but then I end up wasting so much time grading it in! hopefully I can learn! Thanks for watching 😊
I think I have seen more flattering dresses on you. The neck line looks just too high. Even when you compare it to the red dress..the model's collar bones are showing.
yeah i really don't wear it too much. i think you will like the next one i'm making.
@@SimplyDelilah don't get me wrong I LOVE watching your channel and all the pretty dresses you do make!! So I will keep watching!!
No way are you a size 18. You’re making way too large. Use your upper bust and do a FBA.
I’m scared of FBA’s…
@@SimplyDelilah I’m a total newbie and I successfully made one. There’s plenty of TH-cam videos on this. I’m a DD 36 and a 1 inch is plenty for me. You can totally do it. Give it a try.❤️
@@dimples7334 thank you~ ..for the encouragement 😊