Not Your 80s Sweatshirt Dress

The sweatshirt dress of my youth has evolved, and I couldn't be happier. Designers gave the original long, bulky bag of comfort dimension and shape so I no longer felt like I was wearing a sleeping bag with a hood. If it hadn't been for these changes, I wouldn't have looked twice at the Idra Dress Pattern (MDF231). This sweatshirt dress is the perfect mix of geometry and structure. You have the fitted lower sleeve and lower band with a nice puffy sleeve along with enough length for the option of wearing a belt or letting it hang loose. 

Since this is one of Mood's regular PDF patterns, there was the usual extensive prep (downloading, assembling, and cutting). However, this is one of their "kit" projects, which means fabric and notions could be purchased online at the click of a button. I really like this, especially when it comes to sending gift ideas to people. I noticed some of their newer sewing projects don't have this feature, and I get it. Not everyone wants the project in the default color or fabric, but that was something easily unchecked from the automated shopping list. I would rather uncheck that and use the one-click option to automatically put all the notions in my shopping cart and then look for fabric than go to each link and add them to my cart one at a time.

This project was a quick sew, but the instructions made a lot of assumptions about people's technical knowledge. Compared to the Calamint Jean pattern I have made several times, the instructions for the Idra Dress were pretty vague. Right from the start, it instructs the sewer to sew the side seams but does not mention the shoulder seams, even though the accompanying image shows both seams. There is no mention of hemming anything at all, and the method for installing the grommets after making the hood casing is absent. BTW, trying to install the grommets after making the hood casing is a study in frustration. I ended up damaging the fabric and making hand-sewn repairs. Another Mood pattern, written by a different designer, has a much better method for installing grommets BEFORE making the casing. Use this method instead.

The comments are also worth a read before you start. Nearly every person warned that the pattern for the lower band was too small. I heeded their
advice and added 3 more inches to my band but found I was still pulling it to its full length to fit the lower edge of the dress. I understand the lower band is meant to make the lower part of the dress more narrow; however, the original pattern size would have made it nearly impossible to accomplish.

Given all that, I am extremely satisfied with the finished product. It is warm, comfortable, and looks more stylish than most stuff in my closet. Luckily, I finished it before my trip to Washington next month. I just found out my niece has opted for casual wear at her wedding. Guess what I plan on wearing?!

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