The dress that spanned space and time...

I revisited my first dress, Simplicity 2756:

This was the first sewing pattern ever.  I chose this one first because it said "Simple to Make" AND because it had "detachable" collar and cuffs.  I started a muslin of the dress back in 2005 when I lived in NYC.   I learned all my first skills on this dress.  I worked with a sewing instructor who told me all about cutting out fabric and sewing seams.  The muslin took forever.  I only worked with the instructor for a couple of sessions.

It's funny to think back on it now but I didn't really understand the concept of making a muslin.  I thought it was just a trial run since I was new to sewing.  We fitted that muslin and I thought "now I just need to remember how I did this".  No one told me that you then copied those changes onto your pattern! hahaha!

Well, the dress has spanned two American cities, two countries and four addresses.  I began taking up sewing in earnest this last November and this dress was the first piece I went to.  I learned how to put in a zipper, how to finish the seams and I finally finished it:

The problem was the dress didn't fit me right!  The collar was too big, the neck was too low, the sleeves were too long, the bodice was too big, the waist was too low.....on and on...

I had grand ambitions of fixing the dress during Me-Made-May.  I did start the alterations...but boy, did it take awhile!  Where to start?  Luckily, I have such amazing readers who shared their expertise and based on everyone's feedback, I started by fitting the shoulders.  Here are all the alterations I made:

• I took the dress up by about 3 inches on each side in the shoulders (via darts).  
• I put in a princess seam on each side of the back bodice (took out about 1-2 inches of fabric on each side) tapering down to the waist sides.  
• I shortened the sleeves up by about 3 inches.  
• I also tacked the cuffs to the bodice (because the original interfacing was too heavy).
• I hemmed the dress and took about 4 inches off the length.
• I made a matching fabric belt and covered a belt buckle.
• I redid part of the center front seam, bring it up higher.
• I attached the collar deeper into the dress (so that it wasn't as large).
• I had to redo the neckline because of the darts I made in the shoulders.
• I had to tweak the sleeves so that the cuffs fit (because I had shortened the sleeves).

Here's the belt buckle I used:

The adhesive no longer worked, so I used glue to adher the fabric to the belt buckle.  David helped me get it just right (how sweet!)

Phew! I had no idea all the alterations would be so much work.  But I am so glad I did it!  Now I can actually wear the dress.  I wore it to work today and afterwards David and I took some photos near the historic Palace in our village (and yes we LOVE our town...it's so beautiful!):

I am over the moon.  I absolutely adore this dress.  We have had some highs and lots of lows together. It has taught me a lot about sewing and even more about myself!  And I still get to change up the collars and cuffs :-)