Dress #2!

 After completing my first dress I was pumped to start a new one. Once again, I opted for a dress that I could wear to work. I selected the Very Easy Vogue pattern 8232:

This pattern was much easier than the first. I chose a brown linen from Hancock Fabrics. Once again, I played it way safe and chose material almost identical to the pattern cover.

There were very few pieces to stitch together in this pattern. The main thing to watch out for are the curved stitches. I pinned and pinned and pinned to be sure that the form would come out correctly. If you don't follow the curve correctly then the bust will come out too small or uneven.

I hit a couple of minor snags. The top of the dress calls for interface which is a thick cotton material that irons onto fabric to make it stiffer. Contrary to my interpretation of the pattern instructions, I was apparently supposed to iron it to the lining rather than the back side of the dress. It's no big deal and the front still looks fine so I left it how it was.

The other issue I faced was sewing the top two straps together. I cheated a little and didn't hide all my seams but it is very miniscule.

With my zipper class skills in tow, I sewed in the zipper in about 15 minutes! My mom happened to be at my house so I excitedly showed off my newfound abilities. I quickly hemmed the bottom and voila! A new dress! This was by far the quickest bang for my buck. It went from several yards of folded brown linen to a cute new dress in a matter of hours.

I was able to wear the dress the very next day to a friend's wedding. It was lightweight and comfortable for an outdoor summer wedding. And the icing on the cake was getting to brag about my sewing abilities.