Happy enough, but I don’t love this dress

Tilly rates this dress as for “improvers” on her website, and I think that’s a fair assessment. There’s a few tricky seams in here that would mark this as not entirely suitable for beginners, such as the point at which the pocket piece, bodice, and skirt all join in a Y seam. If not executed correctly, you can have a point that’s off, or even a hole, so that needs to be done quite precisely.

Otherwise, this dress is a relatively easy sew. I loved the example colour blocking in the black and white, but decided on this accidental Star Trek science officer teal and black version, in a ponte roma jersey. I used clear elastic as my stabiliser where the pattern called for it.

I cut a size 5, as I have done in other Tilly patterns and as indicated by my measurements, but I wonder if I wouldn’t have been better cutting a size 4, as there’s a fair bit of room in those side panels. The pleats were well explained, and if you are careful with transferring all your markings from the pattern, it is clear enough to follow the tricky centre join.

I don’t love where the neckband sits on me, I feel I want it to be either higher or lower, but I recognise that that is a personal preference of mine. I also would probably make it a little shorter if I make this dress again, as it stands up a little from the body in my fabric.

I’ll wear this dress, but the neckline stops me from absolutely loving this dress. The pockets are great though, the way they are built in is clever, and they’re so roomy.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMU2OhnH7dX/