Love That Look: Tessa Sheath Dress – with fisheye darts!

Hi – it’s Mac of Harper+Lu, guest blogging about the Tessa Sheath Dress.  I have a confession for all of you. Until recently, I hadn’t owned a classic black sheath dress!  I have always loved the simplicity and versatility of a black sheath dress. But, until I tried out the Tessa pattern, it just seemed out of my reach given how hard it is for me to fit into off-the-rack clothes.

I love the look of elegant dresses with simple clean lines, that can easily transform from day to night depending on how they are accessorized.  So, when I came across this photo of a Half Sleeve Seamed Sheath Dress by Cynthia Steffe on Pinterest – retailing for $278 – I knew I could get most of the way there with my trusty Tessa pattern.

Finding clothes that fit my shape has been an ongoing struggle for me.

Dresses that fit my bust, don’t fit my shoulders. I get horrible pooling at in my lower back, and the hemlines tend to either be too short or too long.  Tami made customizations a breeze by including the bust line, waist line,  and hip line markings in the pattern.  You can easily hold the pattern piece up to yourself to get a sense of where your dimensions line up with the pattern piece and adjust accordingly!

The pattern comes with a shaped center back seam, which already provides some backside room. However, given the gorgeous print that I was using for the pattern that I scored at Mood Fabrics, I decided I would avoid the hassle of lining up the two pieces by cutting on the fold. Can someone say BAD MOVE??? (see camera phone picture below while attempting to pin out the excess fabric)

Pronounced swayback issues from cutting on the fold, instead of with a center seam. Don’t be me – follow Tami’s excellent directions and cut two back pieces!

Making this decision meant that not only did I lose the shaping intended by the pattern, but I also made my swayback issues more pronounced.

I scored this textured poly spandex material from Mood Fabrics, during a work trip to NYC. However, I didn’t realize just how limited it would stretch, and that it could almost be treated like a woven.  The first time I made this dress, I used a Michelle Miller scuba knit from Jo-Ann’s, and the pooling was minimal. (I still added darts, but the fabric was far more flexible and had better drape.)  I also was smarter (and not overly confident since it was my muslin) and actually cut two back dress pieces, per the instructions.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BJ3zdC_h36l/

However, I was determined to get a good fit. I used the same trick as before, and turned the dress inside out, pinching out the excess using fisheye darts. I’ve included a picture of the finished product, below.

I’ve got to tell you, if you have pooling caused by a full butt or a swayback, this trick could make a garment salvageable. Give it a try!

All-in, I “saved” an outrageous amount of cash (YAY – more fabric and patterns for me!) by making my own dress using the Tessa pattern!  Custom clothing rocks!

What tricks have you tried to get JUST the right fit for your figure?  Leave a comment and let us know!