Drama Dress Test

George and Ginger patterns has been doing something fun lately, and in the process of expanding their size range to previous patterns, the designer has been opening testing to her entire Facebook group. Honestly, her designs are not usually my style. Often they are too tight, too short, or just a little quirky for my preferences. However, I follow her group because she has a great energy, has developed her business in ways that no other PDF designer has (she shows her designs in multiple fashion shows each year), and because I enjoy seeing other people show off their makes.

This most recent test, the Drama Dress, did not appeal to me for two reasons, other than that I already have fit and flare patterns:. 1. This pattern has a high neckline, which I don’t like wearing with a large bust, especially because none of my bras have great support at the moment, and 2. The hemline is short. I prefer a dress that hits anywhere from the top of the knee to the bottom, and this one is several inches above.

However, my oldest just about fits into the smallest Tween 12 size, so I decided to give this open testing call a try. I’m very glad I did! Originally my daughter asked for the tie neckline with the full skirt in blue stretch velvet. I said sure, but then I found a striped double knit fabric that I purchased once and then immediately regretted on receiving it. I convinced her to try it out with that fabric first to make sure everything fits right.

It turned out great! Now, here is where I fudged things a bit. I totally should have cut this on the shorter hem line in the pattern, since this pattern is written for 5’0” for a tween, and my daughter is 4’6”, but I didn’t want to make a dress for her that is several inches above her knee. We wear knee length dresses in our house. So, if I had been in the designer’s testing group, I probably wouldn’t have tested this, but with it being an open testing call, I decided it would be okay. After all, I didn’t change the pattern, right? I just cut it out on the longest hem line for taller people.

It also has some fit issues at the shoulder, which is probably mostly from her not having a developed figure yet, and this pattern is written for a developed figure. However, I’ve also seen a lot of other tester dresses and the sleeves are drafted very snug. So I think part of the reason it sticks up at her shoulders is the tighter sleeves.

So, I would recommend this pattern to people, but advise you to measure the fitted length against your body to make sure it’s the right length (a lot of testers said it was shorter than they expected), and measure the pattern piece at the bicep to see if you’ll be comfortable with the tightness. Every fabric is different, so if I’m in doubt with a pattern, I measure the length of the fabric in the spot I’m concerned about and wrap it around my waist or bicep or thigh before cutting. Also, be mindful of the size of the keyhole. Kristy did add in a smaller size for tweens, but some ladies might prefer the smaller keyhole because it can show off quite a bit of bust on certain people.

I’ll finish off with a fun picture with my daughters and a bird nest they kept a close eye on for a week while the nestlings grew.