TL; DR – WHY NO STRETCH STITCH EVER WORK, having a cutting table is still awesome, and you can always do tiled patterns better.

Look, I have an aesthetic. One of them is that I love a tie-waist. After the debacle of the Willa dress (which was all on me and not noting that there weren’t any seem allowances), I found the Belgravia pattern from Liesl + Co. Look, I love the Willa, but when the ADHD brain experiences failure, there’s a bit of a trigger to go back to the scene of the crime. I needed a new pattern, and this one had a cute v-neck which I also love.

First off, this was the simplest pattern I have ever assembled. Unlike other sewists, I don’t mind assembling digital patterns – it’s the easiest puzzle ever. BUT, it often assumes that you have a massive area on which to assemble all of the various pages into the larger pieces. This pattern was on a grid (making it so much easier to align) AND didn’t assume a large surface, directing you through assembling various pattern pieces without putting EVERYTHING together.

And it was delightful.

The instructions were clear, it was very well drafted, I was able to sew it up in an afternoon. I’m a little disappointed in how long the ties are, as I can’t wrap them around me twice to be able to tie them in the front. This was the first time that I had used the stretch stitch on my new machine, and really, I think I just need to stick to a zig-zag, as the stitches looked terrible on one side. I haven’t figured out the proper tension or length or whatever, but UGH SO ANNOYING WHY THE MACHINE IS BRAND NEW.

This is a sturdy ponte knit from I think Fabric.com, and I love the color. But, honestly? I might try Willa again, this time with the seem allowances. The dress is…fine. But, not much more, which…is fine?

IDK, I may be having body issues at the moment. Maybe I needed to make a larger size? Or maybe it’s because the folds from the wrap HIT ME DIRECTLY ON WHERE MY NIPPLES ARE ON MY BOOBS WHICH IS WEIRD. The hair covers it in the pic, but still.