The Dress with 20 Darts

 

Vogue 8280,

best known for the knock-off of Roland Mouret's Galaxy Dress, view E:

I made View B, a similar version but with a sweetheart neckline, which I find more flattering than a horizontal line across my chest.

Pattern Description:  Fitted dress with lined bodice, back zipper closing, front flange, back slit opening, and sleeve variations.

Pattern Sizing:  4-20.  I used size 4 in the back, shoulders, and sleeves.  I used size 8 in the bust and size 6 for the rest of the front.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?  For the most part, yes.

Were the instructions easy to follow?  As noted in previous reviews, the instructions do jump around for the different views, to accommodate the various armhole and sleeve variations.  Some views are sleeveless, which require a clean finished edge around the armhole, others have regular sleeves, which don’t, and still others have a combination of the two.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?  I ended up sewing 20 darts on this garment, 10 in the dress and 10 in the lining.  I’m kind of burned out on darts at this point.  Also, there are seven points at the waistline where seams intersect which must be matched perfectly.  The center back, with the invisible zipper, took several attempts to line up just right.

Fabric Used:  Black stretch satin jacquard suiting, lined with silk satin.  The fabric had an interesting silver grey contrast on the wrong side, so I used it to highlight the flange and two-piece sleeve details.         

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:  According to the pattern, only the bodice is lined, so I added a lining to the skirt to complete the inside of the dress.  As usual, I shortened the skirt a couple of inches.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?  I don’t plan on making this pattern again.  To achieve the same look, I would use McCalls 5269 for inspiration, with streamlined princess seams rather than numerous tedious darts, and simpler sleeves.

Conclusion:  I like the style of this pattern, but there are easier ways to achieve the look without the fussy details.