My first sewing FO of the year (or more accurately, the last one of 2012. Somehow I didn’t get around to taking pictures earlier).

For the last couple of years I have made a dress to wear for the family Christmas dinner. This year, I figured I wouldn’t have any time, so I bought one. But of course, a week before Christmas I changed my mind and decided to sew something. Enter the wiggle dress!

Ever since I’ve gotten my hands on Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing I’ve been itching to make practically everything from it. Wouldn’t it be fun if someone would blog all their sewing from her book just as she did for Vogue’s Book for Better Sewing? I’m not one to make that kind of commitment in advance, but there’s quite a chance that I’ll at least make most of the patterns at some point.

I absolutely LOVE that Gertie has already adjusted her standard sizing for those who are a size bigger in the hips than in the rest of their body. I cut a straight size 4, which matches my body measurements almost exactly, and did not make any adjustments to this version. It fits very well, but it would not have fit if the fabric hadn’t had any stretch.

The pictures didn’t turn out that well. I was too cold to pose for a long time, so we went back without checking if they were any good.

The fabric is a (mostly) polyester, slightly stretchy fabric. It’s very comfy in the bodice, but as you can see on the pictures it is a little too flimsy for the skirt. It shows absolutely every underwear line possible, so I can only wear it with one of my high-waisted, lace edged panties because even a thong will show lines at the hips. (I don’t mind, I don’t care much for thongs anyway.)

Construction wise I did not do anything special on this dress (apart from struggling with the underarm gussets because I somehow misunderstood the instructions…) The seams are tragically unfinished, but that’s not that big a deal because the fabric hardly frays. I did use an invisible zipper instead of a proper lapped zipper in the back, simply because I had one on hand that was a perfect match and I would’ve had to go out to get a normal one.

I got a bit lazy on the seams, but at least I finished the hem and facing with some bias tape.

Final Verdict: Love the pattern, and this version is definitely wearable. I’m already planning another version in something with a little more body, but also with some stretch. Perhaps a nice stretch cotton sateen or something similar.