You can see almost nothing about this dress (pattern here) thanks to the print I chose, a rayon twill from Fabricland that is soft, drapey, colourful, easy to sew, and obscures any seam not outlined with a highlighter pen.
So, in words: shoulder yokes, gathered bodice to a snug waistband both front and back, pleats in the front skirt, gathered bell-shaped sleeves. Like so:
Or like so:
Yeah it’s all pretty well invisible.
It made up just fine and it’s a perfectly ok dress for work, and because it’s rayon, I’ll be able to wear it in the spring, too. But I don’t love it enough to make it again. The print makes the whole thing so impossible to read that the wearer becomes an amorphous blob of paisleyish floral stuff with no details about the garment or the person underneath the garment even remotely visible. It’s practically a caftan.
The pattern itself works up just fine–everything matches, everything works, it’s not too challenging. It’s not the pattern’s fault that I didn’t like it as much as I thought I would. If this is something you wanted to make up, I recommend picking a less busy print.
By the way, get used to stair photos for the next little while. We have entered the Cold Grey Bucket of Suck winter period here in S Ontario and I plan on keeping my acquaintance with the outdoors limited to shivering from the front door to the car. Weird shadows and bad light are the name of the game until probably May. Sorry.
Zoopolis 
I really love the colors. I think a broad belt would do a lot to minimize your complaint about the print making you look like an amorphous blob.
I really love the colours and the print too. It would have done better with a pattern with fewer details, I think.
Fun fact! The waistband is actually very snug and belt-like. Of course, you can’t tell. Maybe I’ll see if adding an actual belt makes a difference.
Belts are decorative as well as functional.
It’s super cute! But totally get when a finished project just doesn’t make your heart sing.
I mean to be fair, it doesn’t have to. It’s ok to be just Fine.
Missed you around here and wondered where you’d gone! Thanks for commenting. 🙂
Beautiful fabric but it does obscure the beautiful sewing job. And nothing could make you look like a blob.
I don’t think anyone is immune from blobishness. But thank you. 🙂
I think it looks great and I love the fabric. I do tend to break up patterns like this with some solid colours, but I think it works well as a whole in this dress, too. I imagine the fabric must be lovely to wear. 🙂 I love the style of the dress. I keep getting drawn to patterns with those sleeves. ❤
Thanks. 🙂
I do love the sleeves moment we’re having now. I just wish they’d be even a little bit more complicated.
There’s a Burda plus pattern I got in the fall with these sleeves, but with pleats on the shoulders as well a proper cuff. I cannot wait to tackle that one.
I am just.getting ready to cut the muslin for this dress and I am baffled by the long bodice pattern pieces. They are way to long for the shown garment. Also, what’s with pieces number 11 and 12? They aren’t even shown on the diagram. It’s my first burda download and I wonder if I am blind to something obvious. Did you experience this?
Thanks!
I can’t help you on the download question because I got mine from the magazine. The long bodice pieces, though, aren’t long at all (and I have a pretty short torso). You want the extra length for the blousing effect above the waistband. 🙂 Good luck!