Gray Patterned Tiramisu

Dress: Made by me, Tiramisu Dress by Cake Patterns

Sweater: Anthropologie

Leggings: Sock Dreams

Boots: Vintage

Here is another dress I finished before I decided to jump on the sewing blogger wagon. I can't remember the order in which some of these projects were finished, but I think I made it back in December, sometime before Christmas. And you better believe that I have been wearing the ever-loving crap out of it ever since. When I first saw the Tiramisu Dress pattern posted about somewhere on the sewing blogosphere, that was the moment I knew that I would inevitably be sucked into the black hole of sewing. It turns out that that premonition was correct!

Oh, and before you ask. Yes, I do know that these photos were taken from an incredibly unflattering angle. I was just too lazy to find my tripod on the day I was taking the photos so I used a stool, and then once I did find the tripod, I was too lazy to retake the photos. So please add like at least a 10% more flattering filter to your eyes when viewing these photos. Thanks!

Although I do love this dress, I had some issues with the fit during construction and still have some issues with the fit now. Even though I am fairly certain that I measured myself and the pattern correctly, when I first put it together, the bodice was ABSOLUTELY ENORMOUS. I wish I had taken a photo a the time, but I was too distraught to think of it! I think part of the problem is how short-waisted I am, but I'm not sure that accounts for the whole situation that was happening! I took about 2 inches out of the shoulder seam on both the front and back and removed about another 2 inches from the bottom of the front bodice. I then had to redraft the neckline to make it wide enough to look even remotely like it was intended. I then took two inches in on each side bodice/midriff side seam. The skirt, however, fit perfectly right off the pattern and I think the suggested length is super flattering. The last adjustment I made was shortening the midriff by about half, which I knew was probably an adjustment I would have to make from the get-go. I am so short-waisted that long midriff pieces look ridiculous on me. Since I'm such a newbie, I was kind of making up these adjustments on the fly and just trying to, in the famous words of Tim Gunn, "make it work!". I'm sure there is a much better way to go about doing these modifications.

In the end, I think I shortened the bodice a bit toooooo much. I bought some cheap jersey to make the first attempt at this dress, and it has ZERO recovery. Whoops! By the time I was done making all those bodice modifications, the material was so stretched out that I think I OVER adjusted. After a few washings, the material has recovered and the seam under the bust sits a bit high. Whoops!

I am extremely pleased with my double needle work for the hem! BTW, this photo is a much better representation of the actual color of the dress. I-Phone camera beats the Nikon everytime! So much for expensive cameras (or maybe I should just learn how to use mine better)!

There's the backside of the hem made with the double needle. I love the double needle, but my machine doesn't I think I've broken at least one on each project. That shit is expensive!

As for the next Tiramisu, I think I will consult Steph's 30- Minutes a Day Tiramisu Sew-a-long that she is just wrapping up right now. I can't decide if I should transfer my alterations to the pattern I have already cut in the size that I used for this dress, or try to cut a significantly smaller bodice for the next go around. All in all, I love the crap out of this dress! Though I struggled a bit with the sizing (I probably should have waited for Steph to publish the sew-a-long, but I was too impatient), I think the design is absolutely perfect for my everyday life. V-neck, jersery, pockets, and a flattering full skirt? Check, check, and check. This dress is exactly what I have been looking for. In fact, I'm wearing it right now! I see many Tiramisus in my future!