Homemade Friday: The Great Pink Washi Maxi Dress

I honestly still can't decide whether I like this silly thing or not.

In my defense, this pink, denim fabric was not my first choice of fabrics but it was the only one I had enough of, and last Friday, when I sewed it, I didn't have a car to go buy more.  (Plus my craft closet is overflowing with fabric that desperately needs to be used so I didn't want to buy more.  At least that day.  I will probably lose that resolve soon.)

I'd stolen the fabric from my mother, who had it since my sister was pregnant with my nephew.  He's 17, almost 18 in case you were wondering.  Mom had bought it to make a pair of maternity overalls for Courtney, and I can only assume that they were a bit put off by the inherent pinkness of it.

So I thought eh.  Why not?  

Because of course I did.

Actually, once I figured that my original fabric choice was lacking in a couple of yards, I pulled this one out and asked facebook what they thought.

It got a positive reception, although I was told I'd have to 'accessorize' it, which I am not the best at.  But I forged ahead anyway because I am determined.

Also I haven't learned that when there are reservations at the beginning of a project it's best not to waste my time.  Go with your gut, you, is what I'm saying.

I lengthened the bodice, as I did with the other Washi dress I made.  But I made this one sleeveless with a scooped neck as opposed to the U-shape that shows of the cleavage expertly.

The gathering in the back of this dress was the most frustrating thing I think I've done with sewing in a really, really long time.  Apparently lightweight pink denim does not want to be gathered and will show it's irritation at you trying to make it gather by breaking your elastic thread.  Over and over and over and over again.

It took me over an hour to do something that should have taken 15 minutes, AT MOST.

I had to put the dress away after the kids got home from school, but picked it up after they went to bed, so it was done Friday night.

I only tried it on to hem it (I enlisted my husband to put a pin where I wanted the hem to fall.) but I still wasn't sure.   I saved my final judgement until I could put it on in the light of day.

Here is what I saw:

I mean, it's okay I guess.  But part of me feels like it's almost "Little House on the Prairie"-like, you know?  Except it's pink and they probably didn't wear dresses that ... well ... pink because colors that saturated usually mean a person is of ill repute, right?  So maybe it's "Little Whore House on the Prairie."  Or "Little Not Proper House on the Prairie."  Or "Little Who Does She Think She Is House on the Prairie."

As I mentioned yesterday my husband told me I looked like I was going to a wedding, and I actually think that was him trying to think of something nice to say because otherwise he would have said that it just looked silly.

I think it would have looked better if I hadn't lengthened the bodice, actually, but I'll be damned if I'm tearing it out to change it because then I'd have to redo the gathering in the back and I don't have enough energy for all the cursing that would entail.

So I don't know.  Maybe I'll keep it like this, maybe it'll look better black.  Maybe it just needs a belt and a giant necklace.  Maybe I'll donate it to Goodwill.

Maybe I'll wear it to a wedding.