Simplicity 2120: sew it begins

I finished this a while but just got some picturs!  This is my first ever proper finished sewed item that is wearable! I'm pretty flippin' happy really.

Yes, the fabric is a bit much, and yes it's fairly shapeless, but still! I'm quite pleased!

One particular thing I learned, sewing is hard! Simple as this pattern is - it was hard. I don't know what I was expecting. I totes thought there was a natural seamstress inside me, and while I still believe she's in there somewhere, it's going to take some coaxing (and practice) for her to shine through!

So arty! 

Anyway, I give you Simplicity 2120 aka sack dress. I need to comment that Simplicity let the team down by not calling this line "It's sew easy". Tsk tsk Simplicity.

My largest mistake: not realising that the front piece had a centre seam. Rookie misunderstanding the pattern. I submit in my defence that this was easy enough to do, as the middle of the front piece is a straight line, leading me to assume that I was supposed to cut 1 on the fold. Why wouldn't you?  Weird.  Anyway, this meant my dress was oversized by an extra 2 seam allowances. I've since seen a few sewists generally eliminate this seam, imho rightly so, as what purpose does it serve? And I would have had a heck of a time matching up the fabric!  The back matched up nicely without my even thinking!  Nice!

As you can see it's very shapeless, though it does have teeny tiny bust darts. But a great pattern for a beginner, indeed, "so easy". I had to take mine in an inch on each side because I was swimming in it. I'm not sure if this was due to my aforementioned misreading of the pattern or the fact that you are essentially making a sack. I cut out the size suggested for my measurements, and didn't even look at the finished garment sizing.

Pleats!  And epic failure to match the fabric at the shoulder seams! Yay! 

As I said, I'm pretty damn proud of my first ever completed garment. With a little belt I think it's even wearable, even though the fabric channels some sort of intense Dorothy Gale.

Pattern: Simplicity 2120
Fabric: Cotton drill from Spotties.

Skills acquired:

• I sewed a freaking dress people
• Making a dress from a pattern
• Pleats!
• Bust darts!
• Neck and arm bands cut on the bias (which is the tightest shit ever, bias cut fabric is STRETCHY! Who knew eh?)
• Learning terms like 'selvedge' and 'bias'

~Tan