lipstick pink tiramisu

The Facts
Fabric: 2 1/2 yards lightweight pink wool jersey from Mood, $35 if I remember correctly
Pattern: Cake Patterns Tiramisu
Year: 2012 
Notions: fusible stay tape
Time to complete: 6 hours?
First worn: Jan 8th out and about
Wear again: yes
Total cost: about $35

My paternal grandmother, May, who we called Mimi, always wore this shade of lipstick.  Her raincoat was the same color.  Perfect for a cheerful winter dress.

When I first saw Tiramisu, I was excited for Stephanie of 3hourspast and now Cake Patterns as well as my friend Mikhaela and her husband, Masheka, who did the pattern illustration and envelope/instructions design.  They are lovely, talented, hardworking people and I want them to be successful!  For myself, I was less excited because the dress, though indisputably adorable, contains two design elements I usually avoid: a surplice neckline and a wide midriff band.  I think this neckline looks great if you have a bust.  I don't.  As for the midriff band, it's just not comfortable since I had surgery in that area a year and a half ago.  So I had specific reservations about Tiramisu but thought I'd give it a shot anyways.

Hmm.  I do have on a slip.

I drafted long sleeves using Steph's hack, because a short sleeve wool dress doesn't make sense to me.  If I'm wearing wool, it's cold and I need sleeves.  Once I wrangled my serger into functioning properly-- man is that thing temperamental-- construction proceeded smoothly.  The pocket area might be the tiniest bit dodgy on the inside of the dress.  Other than that, I'm proud of my work.  Steph recommends wearing the dress a few times and washing it before hemming, so I haven't evened out the hem yet.  I'm going to leave the edge raw anyways, but I'm probably going to cut the skirt a couple inches shorter.  

I think I got a good fit.  I love the unconventional but completely logical sizing and other custom fit measures Steph has built into the design.  Even so, I still don't think Tiramisu is the best shape for my bottom heavy physique and the midriff band is. . . a midriff band, as I knew full well going in. 

My fresh love affair with wool jersey continues.  I'm ready to hit the garment district for more to make a Pavlova wrap top, Steph's next pattern, about which I have no reservations.  It looks comfortable, versatile, and chic, very appealing.  Yes, the neckline is similar, but somehow the extension into a wrap makes all the difference.  

Next up: my ginaclarkstyle dress + surprise!