Hot Patterns 1009: the Wong-Singh-Jones Wrap dress

Over the years, I have picked up a few Hot Patterns, but until now I hadn't actually sewn one.

And I finally have! This is HP 1008, the Wong-Singh-Jones wrap dress. I've had the pattern in my stash for several years, but for one reason or another only just sewed it up. Shame on me! It's a pretty fun dress! And it was a surprisingly quick sew. I assembled it in around 4 hours from start to finish. Not too shabby!

The fabric is a medium weight ITY from Fabric Mart. I dithered about using ponte, since I wanted this to be a cold weather dress, but the pattern and all of the reviewers on PR said that a lighter weight knit was best. I'm glad I listened for once.

But let's talk about the pattern, shall we? I like a lot of things about this dress. It has shoulder princess seams, which I love for ease of fitting (For the record, I cut the size indicated by my measurements and added a bit for extra bust room and the fit is good). The dress is a true wrap rather than faux wrap, with the left side tie passing through on opening in the right princess seam. The neckline is high enough to stay closed without gaping, but low enough to be attractive. The skirt is a nice length, and hits me just below the knee without alterations.

The skirt has great movement, and back princess seams again allow for a sleek fit. The sleeve length is 3/4 and the sleeve itself has a relaxed fit, but more shaping that a true kimono sleeve.

Overall, the pattern is a win and I will definitely use it again, but with a few minor modifications. The first one is to add pockets! I can't believe I forgot to put them in this one! I'm out of practice.

The other major change is to the ties. Whoa, are these babies long!! I have the belt wrapped around my waist three times (bulk I do not need...) and they still trail the ground. I've stepped on and rolled over the ties with my chair all day long. I think a part of the problem is that my knit is quite stretchy, but still. They're getting shortened in future versions.

One thing that I thought would be a problem was the overlap itself. When I first put the dress on, it felt skimpy and I was worried I would be fighting wardrobe malfunctions all day, but that hasn't been the case. I'm pleased to say it stays nicely in place.

The pattern itself is well drafted, but the instructions are cryptic at best and the bands are asembled and attached in a non-intuitive way, so if you are a beginner this may not be the best pattern for you unless you are looking for a challenge.

In other news, I have been sewing up a storm, but it's been boring stuff - lots of nightgowns and pjs. On the plus side, that has given me plenty of opportunities to play with my embroidery machine! I've learned a lot, and I'm getting pretty comfortable with the process. I've got a few plans for things for me in the pipeline. Stay tuned!