Okay obviously I am terrible at coming up with blog post titles, but I think we've already established that. Anyway, I made these two dresses a couple of weeks ago, but haven't had a chance to take photos or blog about them until now. We are back in the city and yesterday I went out in the backyard with the tripod to take photos and was startled by a landscaper who had come in to start lawn maintenance - awkward! I smiled, grabbed the tripod, and high-tailed it back into the house until he was gone. Blogger problems! Anyway, I am quite happy with how the photos turned out. Here is my first version:
For my first Moneta, I went with the short-sleeve view in this pretty galaxy print I got from Girl Charlee. It's much thinner than I thought it would be but it is deliciously soft. Like flannel pyjama soft. So what it lacks in weight, in makes up for in prettiness and softness.
I really like how comfy this dress is, and I feel that while it's still casual, it makes me feel a bit more put together than shorts and a tee. I was on the cusp between sizes, so I went with the L, but am wondering now if I could have gotten away with the M (it's a touch big in the shoulders). I chopped a whopping 2 inches off the bodice so it would hit at my (very short) natural waist, and then I took 1 inch off the skirt. What can I say? I'm short. My only real issue with the Moneta is figuring out which side is the front, and which side is the back. Looking at these pictures, I think there is a distinct possibility that I have it on backwards.
I guess I'll have to put a little tag in it or something. I wore this dress the night we went to see Guardians of the Galaxy and I didn't even clue in until we were leaving the theatre and someone gave me this knowing smile - and then I thought - I'm such a nerd, I wore my Galaxy print dress to the Guardians of the Galaxy! Cosplay and I didn't even know it. LOL. Not really, but I thought it was funny.
For my second version, I went with the sleeveless bodice and no collar. I feel like I have a ton of dresses with collars and I was worried about how the collar would lay in a knit, so I ditched it.
Are you sick of looking at pictures of me yet? Sorry to bombard you, but when I look at sewing/fashion blogs, I like to see all the angles so I can figure out how the pattern/outfit might look on me. Do you do that too? Plus, if you don't like to/have time to read you get a good idea of what's going on based on the pics.
This guy is also made out of a cotton lycra knit from Girl Charlee. It's super soft and I love the print. This bodice is lined and the Colette way of finessing the neck and armholes really is ingenious, but tricky. Thank goodness for the video, or I never would have figured it out. (Note to self, if you are going collarless, finish the neckline first!! And/or read through the entire tutorial before you start so you don't have any surprises at the end.) I have a bit of gaping at the neckline and armholes on this dress. And I am wondering if it's because the bodice is just a bit to big, or if I need to do some minor alterations - but alterations seem like such a pain in a knit dress.
I don't know, maybe a size down would be too revealing of all the lumps and bumps? Am I the only one who gets bra induced back fat? Is that okay to ask on the interwebs? Okay, maybe not bra induced but bra accentuated. And what is going on with the back of my hair? I need a haircut!
So that's it for my Monetas. I really like this pattern and I can see myself making it again - in fact I have some fabric already earmarked for a couple more. It's super quick to make and although I thought the elastic gathering at the waistline was kind of weird (and tricky), I really like the effect it creates and how it gives the waistline a bit of structure too.
I'll leave you with a couple of more pics of how I would wear this dress around town. Unless it is smoking hot out, I don't really love having my arms exposed in public so this is how I would wear this dress to run around - plus sometimes air-conditioned places are freezing! Hope you are having a great August so far!
