Here I am in my Cashmerette Rivermont dress. In the bathroom at work. So classy. My face says it all, no?
Obligatory pattern cover.
And line drawings.
And size chart.
Since I don't fit into any one size on the size chart, I do the morph-o-roo between a few sizes. Following the Cashmerette instructions to choose by my bust size doesn't work for me. I end up with a too-wide neckline and a bodice that falls off my shoulders. So, I pick for my bust size but ALSO for my upper chest/shoulder size by blending smaller for those areas. For Rivermont, that meant between 14-16 (C/D cup) at neck/upper chest and underarm, outward to the 20 at waist/hip. Kind of like my "cheater FBA" but in this instance it's my "cheater NSA" (narrow shoulder adjustment). (And OMG, now that I've typed NSA twice, should I be worried? Hah.) You can see what I did looking at the yellow highlighting below.
This gives me a pretty good fit throughout shoulders, underarm, and bust, no?
Overall, I like the pattern and think it's drafted well, and I do recommend it. But I do have a couple of mostly minor complaints. First up, is the pocket. While I love pockets, especially in my work clothes, the Rivermont pocket is HUGE. Immediately below looking at the pattern pieces, you may be able to get the general idea of how deep this pocket is. Look how close the bottom of the pocket is relative to the back vent.
Or, if that doesn't tell you the story, look at this photo, where, with my hand to the bottom of the pocket bag, half of my forearm is in the pocket too. That is a deep pocket! It's easily shortened for next time, though, so not a deal breaker by any means.
While I'm talking about the pockets, I'll point out that I used a black tech knit for the pocket facing. The main fabric is fairly lofty and textured and I thought a smoother fabric would be a better choice. It is. I really like how the pockets feel with my hands in them - the techno knit (same as I used for my black Hudson pants) is so nice. The main fabric is also awesome! I used exactly zero creative imagination for it, since it was part of a Rivermont kit offered by Cashmerette. I just fell in love with it when I saw it. It was a little pricier than I usually go for, but very worth it. It's definitely quality stuff.
The other nit I want to pick about the pattern is the neckline facings. If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you'll know my feelings on facings for knits. Hint: Not a favorite. At all. The front facing is kind of wimpy. It's nice that it's sewn into the shoulder and armhole seams, but that wasn't enough to tame it.
I understitched it. I pressed the heck out of it. Sat the clapper on it. And even left it pinned on Zillie for days. It wasn't enough.
So I brought out the big guns ... my elastic thread. Which I pulled through the channel created by the understitching, just enough to make it taut. Similar to my Gaping Neckline Fix, here.
And I added Steam-A-Seam under the facing edges to "glue" them down so they wouldn't move. The neckline now lays flat and the facing remains in place. I still hate facings though. (You can also clearly see how deep the pockets are.)
The back lays better, because it's a bit deeper and is going over a more convex curve of my upper back which holds it in place better than the more concave curve of a typical female upper chest. Also, pattern matching like a BOSS. Hehehe...
Here's my finished dress on Zillie (sans hem). Front neckline flat? Check. Not too wide? Check.
And another wonderful bathroom selfie. (I know I'm getting ancient, but that lighting really does me no favors. Ugh.) This will be a great multi-seasonal addition to my wardrobe. And so comfy too!
And during the colder months, I've got a matching unstructured jacket to wear over it. (Or, with jeans or the navy skirt that's in my sewing queue.)
I used Simplicity 1945, which I've made a few times before. I omitted the center back seam to avoid pattern matching and fabric waste.
Zillie models the ensemble, complete with serger thread tails before hemming:
Parting shot: This wonderful fabric is impossible to mark on the wrong side with my preferred washaway markers. I actually tailor-tacked for the first time ever. I felt so faaaannncy. :-)
