I love my sewing magazines. So much inspiration, so many possibilities. I usually just dog ear the page to return to later and very rarely do. But, this pattern in the June/July 2016 Sew News issue really had me thinking (instead of sleeping)
Based on your measurements, you can create just one pattern piece to make this really cute, casual dress. The dress is constructed by 4 of that one piece. Neat. Right?
I don’t enjoy wearing long dresses but, I thought this would look really nice in a tunic length. And I had a piece of this colorful jersey knit that I wanted to use for my new tunic.
I took my measurements and tried to follow the directions for drafting out my pattern piece. 
You can probably see that I attempted to draw this pattern a couple of times. And then a couple of more times. Apparently I am not good at measuring myself. Or at least the measurements don’t seem very accurate. Does anyone else have the same problem? Well, I pushed forward.
This knit was my choice for the lining.
I was really kind of liking the results. That is, until I tried it on. The lower parts of the “V” were much too deep under the arms and in the front. Ugh! I had to set it aside for a day or two and ‘sleep on it’ for a bit.
The shoulders were to be fastened with buttons. And the over lap was going to be way too much in order to make it fit me correctly. It was terrible. So much so, I couldn’t bare to photograph it. After a bit of time thinking, I decided that I needed to remove the points at the shoulders and create a shoulder seam to take up the way too much depth in the dips. I really didn’t know what else to do. I opened up the side seams at the shoulder and seamed it together.
It’s still not exactly what I had wanted out of the pattern or with the fabric but, it is wearable. At least I am wearing it. Even as I write this post. I just haven’t taken a picture of me wearing it yet. So, I wouldn’t call it a total flop and I am only mildly annoyed with the way it turned out. I am still trying to work the pattern around in my mind on how to make it work out better. I do want to try it again. I guess I would feel better about the whole process if I could understand what went wrong with my measurements. Maybe my body type just isn’t suited for the pattern style? Maybe I can figure it out on the next go around. I will let you know my spin on the next one I try.
Here’s hoping all your sewing projects are winners!
robynsewsthisandthat 
What a shame it didn’t work out like you had envisioned. 😦 I gotta say, my experience with super-simplified sewing patterns like this has been exactly the same as yours–they hang like a sack and all the time you saved making them is spent trying to fix them.
How true. I also kind of feel like these patterns are giving me opportunity to get more creative with them. At least if I tell myself that then I don’t feel like I have wasted so much time.
Don’t offhand know that I’ve tried this sort of pattern before, so can’t make any suggestions. At least you’ve gotten something wearable… maybe not joyously so, but to lounge in.
Quick question: You up for any phone calls? I might be getting meself straight after my move – maybe there’s something interesting going on in Richmond this summer? How’s your schedule shaping up? Stay cool!
Thanks. Yes…I am a bit busy this summer but, not as badly as last year. Let’s get together for a chat. I haven’t poked around to see what’s going on in Richmond but, I do want to get out there to pick up my granddaughter for a weekend visit and we may be able to work around that. Let’s talk.
Sounds good!
Sorry it didn’t turn out the way you hoped. Magazines can be great at making things look fab when they’ve got pins and tape out of view that are holding everything right. Not that I’ve got sewing advice or say that is the case, but I’m often horrified when I look closer at items in knitting magazines and see how poorly they are constructed. And like you, I often turn down corners never to return to the pages they mark 😦 So well done on going back and having a go – hope in the long term it turns out to be a useful learning experience.