Since I first started sewing I have read a lot online from other sewists' blogs and communities like The Fold Line. The Anna Dress appears everywhere and seems to be a staple for summer wardrobes. Many reviews have talked about how easy this dress is to make so this looked like an obvious project to add to the list. So with spring on its way here we go....
Fabric
I had a beautiful rayon from Sew Over It waiting away in my fabric stash which I bought for £12 a metre. I had originally bought it with a playsuit in mind but somehow at the outset of a weekend I had put aside just for sewing, I suddenly decided it would be perfect for an Anna. I think it was actually a good choice for this dress now as it is very easy to sew with, and is quite floaty and summery without being see through at all. The fabric irons well which helps for the pleats on the skirt. The only other materials I needed were black thread and a black invisible zip.Pattern and Instructions
The Anna Dress made its way onto my dressmaking wish list
quite a long time ago (pretty much when I started dressmaking). I did order
this well before I was ready to attempt it as By Hand London announced they
were ceasing paper patterns and moving to pdf only. At this point I preferred
paper patterns so I ordered this along with two other projects which I have yet
to make, and have set it aside for some time. The upshot being the pattern I
have is on paper, which I know is no longer available…
The tissue pattern pieces come in a pack with a booklet of
instructions and key pattern details on the back of the sleeve. This pattern is
also rated on the front; this is rated a difficulty of 1 out of 3, so seemed suitable
for my beginner skills! The different variations are presented on the sleeve:
- Version 1 includes a maxi length skirt with slash neck and thigh split,
- Version 2 includes a maxi length skirt with V neck and
- Version 3 is a shorter knee length version with slash neck (this is the version I selected).
I traced off the key pieces to preserve the pattern, then transferred markings with carbon paper and a tracer wheel. The bodice pieces are fairly straightforward, and there are no separate sleeves to cut and stitch as they are kimono style (part of the bodice pieces). There are a number of skirt panels - I labelled these with a code in a washable fabric pen in order to keep track of them.
The instruction booklets contains layplans for all versions
of the pattern, and diagrams for each stage. The wording of the instructions is
also fairly straightforward, and I supplemented these with the Anna sewalong onthe By Hand London website when it came to trickier/new elements like pleats
and invisible zip. I thoroughly recommend looking this up as there are colour
photographs and other helpful tips that give more detail than the booklet.
Alterations
I did need to make some alterations as this dress was put
together. (FYI I am a 5ft UK size 10 in the shops, and my measurements aligned
to a size 8/12 for
this pattern).
I found that the back neckline gaped a fair amount. On the
sewalong pages By Hand London have included a link to a post where you canalter pattern pieces to address this, and they also have a cheat/quick fix
version of their own. Being an impatient kinda gal I did use the quick fix
which basically involved trimming away from the centre back seam. I also
confirmed my view that zips are the devils’ work throughout this process and
have since concluded that it is better to tack a zip down than spend ages
fiddling about with pins that don’t sit right any way. As it turned out even
though I did trim away some of the material the neckline still gapes a little
as I move about…this may also be contributed to by the combination of stiff zip
and flimsy material. In future I think I will try to adjust the pattern piece
in the first instance, and may possibly experiment with a v back (but I’m not
sure what this will do to the structure at the front).
I did also have to alter the front pleats because the bust
area on the finished dress was a little ‘saggy’. The width of the fabric across
the bust points was fine, but I think that my short stature warped how this was
meant to look. On this Anna dress I lengthened the pleats which seemed to fix
the issue. If anyone can help me to identify what this suggests about my
dimensions and possible alterations that might apply to all patterns I would
greatly appreciate any guidance! (I'm thinking my waistline is higher than standard and this is what made the front bodice look saggy).
Conclusion
I was really looking forward to making this dress and feel
that I have achieved my aim in creating something cool, comfortable and
attractive for warm summer days. I was happy with the length of the skirt,
which swishes in a very satisfying manner, and the dress has enough room in it to
be easy to be flattering yet not restrictive at all. The fabric I used was
really easy to work with – it pressed properly, went through the machine
smoothly and holds the shape of the dress well.
This was quite a therapeutic make as there is a
lot of straight seam sewing. Other than some darts and pleats it is a case of
matching notches, sew and finish seams. (That is apart from inserting the
invisible zip, which I can never get right no matter how clear the
instructions). The kimono sleeves mean that this pattern is accessible for
beginners with limited skills and don’t require a great deal of thought. However,
I did not make a toile first and I recommend taking time to do this for the
bodice at least….I will if I make another as I know that there are some
alterations that I will want to make for future projects
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