Hall of Horrors

I'm going to breathe in deeply and attempt not to wince too much as I write this entry. These are a few (sadly there are more) of my sewing failures. I know that I shouldn't be so stroppy about my failures after all failure is how we learn but all the wasted hours and beautiful fabric is just so frustrating.

My first failure is the Tilly and the Buttons Mimi blouse. This was the second item of clothing I made and it is poorly constructed. However, for me, more guiling that than is this contrast buttons and collar I chose which make it look like it would be more at home at a bowling alley. Looking back at the pattern now, it's not a top which I would usually choose for myself so I'm not sure why I thought that it was a good idea to invest hours in making myself one.

All in all then it was a failure for a huge range of reasons; poor construction; terrible fabric choice and a pattern which just isn't my style.

Onto the next one and this one really stings. The Colette Hawthorn. I think I must have invested four weekends worth of sewing in this dress. It was a disaster from the start. I measured myself but decided that I couldn't possibly be that size so I cut the size up, which was huge, poorly fitting and very unflattering. After some alterations to the bodice I decided to continue. I wanted to make it with the sleeve plackets (due to being stubborn I would not quit and resolve to have it sleeveless). These took me forever and are still incorrect! Even after attempting them countless times. After finally deciding to finish it anyway it is extremely unflattering on me. It makes me feel old fashioned and frumpy. Such as shame, as I know that there are some truly beautiful Hawthorns out there and I love the fabric which I bought in the John Lewis sale. Perhaps when I'm ready I will be able to rescue it and turn it into a sleeveless dress which could be more flattering on me.

This brings me to my most recent failure which happens to be my project from last weekend. I decided to make the Sew Over It shift dress in a cotton which I bought at the Knit and Stitch fair. I just love the black cats! This dress is very unflattering on me, so much so that I'm struggling to finish it (the hem is currently pinned and sleeves unfinished). The cotton is medium weight, the pattern does say to use lightweight, so it is probably my fault for choosing the wrong fabric. I usually like quite baggy clothes with simple almost shapeless silhouettes but this dress just doesn't work for me. It billows out at the top then clings to the hips. I think that I need a shift dress which is more A-line. I used my Simplicity cord dress to adapt the shape but it still doesn't suit me or feel right.

I'm really sad about this one as I absolutely love the fabric. I've considered adding in a black triangle at the sides to make it an A-line shape or turning it into a top to save it. What do you think or do I just need to resolve myself to having lost the fabric?