Do you start with your pattern and then buy the fabric or is it the other way around? I’m sure you’re like me where it’s a mix of both. In this case, I had bought this silky looking rayon but had no plans for it. It has beautiful drape, and I loved the colour, so I’ve had 3 meters of it sitting in my stash. Then I saw the Roma dress. I’ve noticed the recent trend for sailor’s collars so when Sewing Therapy released this pattern, I wanted to try it and thought it was a good match for this rayon.
Now, when you look at this fabric, both sides look almost identical, but one side is slightly shinier than the other. I’ve read that this is from the satin weave that can be used which leaves one side shiny and the other matte. What I have learnt from using this is to mark the wrong side at the start. I didn’t which was made more difficult when I decided to tackle a few parts of the project at night. I should have used my KATM sweary label for this one when I had to unpick pieces newly sewn with the wrong side up!
None of that swearing came from using the pattern which was made very easy by Sara’s sew along video. They are well captioned and her written instructions, although brief, are also very good for an experienced seamstress. Basically, the pattern comes as a dress or top with a choice of a big or small sailor’s collar and drop sleeves with cuffs or can be sewn with elastic instead of the cuffs.
For my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist, 40-inch hips, I made the size 12 (L) which had a good amount of ease so even though my waist measurements would put me into a size 14, there was no need to grade. I’ve sewn a few Sewing Therapy patterns now and because her patterns tend to include that ease, I felt comfortable skipping a toile. Usually, if a sewing pattern maker is new to me, I would toile with the blouse option. I do find her patterns are true to size for me.
For me, the most difficult point of this pattern was not the collar as she indicated in her video. I found those instructions to be superb. It involved both the facing and the cuffs. The facing had to be sewn down once the collar was attached. My fabric was super slippery and so I had to deviate a bit to make it work for my fabric. I decided not to stitch the front neckline facing down because it would have spoilt the seamless look in the front. I did attach the back neckline facing but I’m still unhappy with it because it’s not symmetrical. I had basted around the back facing then followed with the top stitch, but the fabric still shifted. I will be unpicking and trying again soon.
The cuffs were also tricky for me. I misunderstood the markings for the cuffs and initially overlapped them at the wrong spot. Luckily, I had only attached one when I tried it on to check. I felt the cuff was tight and when I rewatched the tutorial, I realised my mistake. I’m sure that has not happened to anyone else. The other challenge for me was placing the cuff onto the sleeve. I’m still not sure if I have the opening of the cuff in the right spot. I think I would have liked a notch somewhere to help me line it up. Then, when everything was attached and finished, I looked at the overlap in the cuffs which were now both facing the same way instead of opposites. Small detail, I know, but I will wait to see if it still bothers me down the track.
Lastly, I wanted to mention that I sewed this over a period of a couple of weeks which is not routine for me. I wanted to try spacing my sewing out a little bit more. Not sure if I was successful because I found myself making more mistakes. I tend to space things out like printing the pattern, sticking together the pattern, toiling, cutting fabric, markings but when it comes to sewing, I usually like to set aside one continuous session. I found that putting a project down, then having to find my spot again was probably not as productive and enjoyable as I thought it would be. I think I’ll have a mix of projects in the future, I do still have my Nova Coat that I have been slow sewing in the background using denim scraps and recycled jeans. So, it’s true to say that this “Roma” was not built in a day.
Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
X Em
Em Sew Happy Blog 