Vogue 2899

...or, The "Oh My Goodness, Did I Really Just Make That?" Dress.
Thank you Guy Laroche.  I don't know if you just designed the dress, or if you helped with the actual drafting of the Vogue pattern pieces, but thank you.  You have just given me a huge boost of confidence because I was able to be successful in making a fantastic dress that I will be proud to wear at my husband's end-of-year award banquet.

This was my first time sewing with matte jersey.
This was my first time lining an entire dress.
This was my first time sewing anything with this many pattern pieces and markings.

I have nothing bad to say about this pattern.  It runs small, so beware.  To compensate for my derrière, I cut a size bigger for the two back panels than I did for everything else.

My only wish is that there had been some sort of option for a shorter torso (like I have).  Because of the intricacy of how all the pattern pieces join around the waist area, there wasn't any obvious way to shorten.  I ended up with wrinkles around my middle.  I couldn't stand them, so I took a double-ended dart (is that even what it's called?) from the top of one faux pocket to the other, taking away about 2 inches total in the middle.  What's one more seam on this dress, right?

Since I'd never sewn with matte jersey before, I didn't know what to expect at all.  This particular material came from Denver Fabrics.  I thought it would be softer, but it's kinda scratchy. :(  It'll be ok for an evening.  

All of my seams were drawing up at the bottom of the skirt and I thought for a few days that I would have to cut it off to just above my knee.  I received a lot of great advice about sewing with jersey from the ladies participating in the MeMadeMay Flickr Group, but nothing that wouldn't involve a seam ripper.  Now, probably like most seamstresses, I have a love/hate relationship with that thing, but mostly hate..... and loathing.  If I can cut it instead of rip it, I will.  If I can live with it instead of rip it, I will.  So before I went the desperate route of ripping out the skirt seams, I steamed the heck out of it.

Lo and behold, it worked!  (cue angels singing)

What a relief!

And here's the main thing that attracted me to this pattern, the low back.  It's a bit inconvenient.  I'll have to wear a stick-on bra, but I just can't resist a dress with a low back.

You can see my *almost* invisible zipper... inserted without an invisible zipper foot, mind you.  

And that's all she wrote.   Mission complete.  I needed to finish this dress before next Friday because we are leaving for vacation and not returning until the very day of the award banquet.  I'm so glad to have it done and so glad that I'll be proud to say "I made it." if anyone should ask.