Friday, September 27, 2013

A Marfy pattern for my birthday dress - finale

Based on the incredibly nice comments left for the two previous posts (thank you very much!) I hope this very simple dress is not a letdown. Considering the style I did have to make a lot of adjustments, or maybe it just seemed that way because I am so familiar with my personal adjustments on Vogue patterns. There are links at the bottom of this post to my two previous ones which contain all the details on fitting and pattern alteration.
OK, enough stalling, right?  Here it is.

Marfy front view2
This was pre-vacation sewing at its usual quickness, so I rummaged through my stash and came upon this lightweight black cotton dotted swiss. I originally bought it thinking I would make a floaty skirt but never got around to that, and the contrast is white cotton sateen. All my outdoor photos look a bit washed out (or perhaps hard to compete with that background) and also the ever so slightly three dimensional dots do something kind of optical-illusion-y with the image. 
For reference, I made Marfy pattern F2422. This is my best dressform view that shows the details.

Marfy front waist
I am very happy with the final fit of the bodice and especially across the back which is always a place I have to do a lot fiddling.

Marfy back on me
A few thoughts on this pattern and Marfy in general. It is nice to get pattern pieces instead of a sheet and I don't mind adding the seam allowances, but the labeling is minimal. They say all pieces are marked and labeled however it was a bit tricky to figure them out and I speak Italian - although admittedly I don't "sew" in Italian. The biggest issue I had was where to put that contrast piece at the waist. Here is that section, and an example of their labeling. After putting the diagonal contrast piece below the seam  - which looked totally weird on my muslin - I figured it must go above the seam. (It fit either way).  And how about that little notch - goes with nothing. Now that I look at it I see that it says to lay the edge there but it actually fit better below, but worked out OK. Actually that is the only little dissatisfaction I do have with this dress as there is a tiny bit of rippling at those pieces which show in this photo below. I think that is due to the difference in weight between the fabrics, the black is very light, almost a voile and the sateen is a bit heavier and has a touch of lycra, although I did put some interfacing and was very careful not to distort when sewing. Its one of those things that I see in photos but I imagine when worn is not even noticeable. 

Marfy pattern pieces close up2Marfy dress front 8

I really like how this turned out, the serendipitous fabric choices made it perfect for a crisp cool summer dress. I put a black cotton voile lining and a black invisible zip which stops at the top of the black part in the back. For the closure I thought a white invisible zip would be good at the top but might show down the center back and the little tail of a black one would drive me nuts at the top of the white band so I extended one side of the white band, stopped there with the black zip and then the band closes with  a flat hook and eye.  Oh yeah, I am particular, or as my family says, crazy!

More Marfy impressions. Very nice quality patterns however I am unlikely to try one again. The styles don't wow me, the sizing is not really suited for me, and I think the cost is too high for what you get. I am basing my comparison on Vogue patterns which I find more interesting and much easier to use. I can buy them for under four dollars and they have seam allowances which I am used to. Many Vogue patterns have multiple versions so that is useful and economical. They have styles from designers that I am a fan of. Some of the choices on Marfy are comparable to styles I have seen on Lekala (PDF patterns from Russia that send you a custom size based on your measurements) So two ends of the spectrum pattern-wise but I would pick a Lekala over a Marfy in the future.

I did two previous posts on making this pattern:
Pattern info and first muslin
Second muslin and details on adjustment and alteration

As for my tropical photo shoots - why don't I put on some cute sandals? For your entertainment, seeing this one all I could think of is that song "Walk like an Egyptian"

Marfy front view4

This one is I spy a Mai Tai out of the corner of my eye!  wait for me, it's my birthday after all. Or at least it was...

Marfy front on me6

Wishing every one a paradise on your birthday, tropical or otherwise,
Happy sewing, Beth

23 comments:

  1. Happy birthday (for whenever it was). Cute dress. Now that you have made it fit so well, not tempted to make it again in something else?

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  2. I love your dress, it is very flattering and worth the effort. I have made up many Marfy patterns as the fit suits me better than the big 4 and I love them.

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  3. It's a great dress. And you deserve a Mai Tai

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  4. Very pretty and very flattering. Thanks for the helpful critique of your Marfy experience.

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  5. I just love the lines of this! Hope your birthday matched your setting- gorgeous!

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  6. Great dress. I've read your previous post and was anxious to see the finished dress. It looks stunning on you. I would have thrown in the towel on muslin #1. Your perseverance paid off.

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  7. Lovely dress. Very flattering and fits beautifully. And great to read about your Marfy experience!

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  8. I Iove your dress and fabric choice. I also like that the style is just a bit different than most sundresses.

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  9. Happy Birthday and probably I should say belated hb! I really like your dress. The insert at the waist area is really a nice touch! Flattering fit and good job with Marfy pattern.

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  10. Very cute!! I love the fabrics you chose.. it looks perfect! Happy birthday!

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  11. Gorgeous dress! Love that inset at the waist. Really flattering. I have always wanted to try a marfy pattern but have been intimidated. Based on your experience, I think I will take a pass.

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  12. Happy belated Birthday, Beth! Awesome dress! So elegant and flattering. I never tried a Marfy pattern, way out of my league..:)

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  13. I think this is a lovely dress on you! I really appreciate your comments about using Marfy patterns vs. Lekada vs. Vogue patterns. Thanks for sharing them!

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  14. Happy birthday, Beth! Wow, this dress is sooooo flattering and so you!! It makes your waist look 'skinny like a string' as DD1 used to say. And, yes, your background is stunning. Your backyard looks like Hawaii and that pool is *so* inviting! I hope you go skinny dipping at night a lot!!!

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  15. Not disappointed at all - this dress is simple, effective and classy! I love the waist contrast, it's very flattering!

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  16. What a great fit! Definitely worth all the effort you put in.

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  17. Wow! GGreat dress and great fir. You really look wonderful in it. Congrats/. You've made me want to try a Marfy!

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  18. You know I hadn't noticed from the sketch that the neckline and backline contrast didn't go under the arm - so I was a bit surprised to see the contrast in your photos, I had to go back to your previous post to inspect the image! But I really like the result :) Looks to me like they made a mistake in the clipping of those pattern pieces and forgot to clip the contrast bit. I might have to check my pattern stash when I get home as I have this one (I bought the jacket that goes over this dress in the pictures too). I love the almost 3D-ness of those polka dots, I keep staring and they keep moving! I don't blame you at all for preferring Vogue - goodness knows they have some fabulous patterns and if you're familiar with your sizing in relation to theirs, well it makes things that much easier. Marfy styling suits me down to a tee, and I get the added benefit of fitting their single size quite nicely! Enjoy that Mai Tai ;)

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  19. I hope you had an absolutely wonderful birthday Beth! and your dress is lovely. That mai tai sounds like a good plan :)

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  20. Hope you had a lovely birthday in your new dress! It turned out lovely, though I do appreciate your honest opinions on Marfy patterns, the designs look lovely, but for no instructions they seem quite expensive. Have you seen the price of the wedding dress patterns?!

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  21. Happy belated birthday, Beth! I hope that you have a wonderful new year in your life. You made me laugh -- "I don't sew in Italian" ! You look fabulous in your new birthday dress, and I hope you enjoy wearing it many times. Thanks so much for your thoughtful and insightful review of Marfy patterns.

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  22. I think it turned out lovely! I've never tried a Marfy pattern, but I had heard good things about them. Maybe one of these days one of their patterns will jump out to me as a must-have, and then I'll be sure to come back to these posts and compare notes. Until then, I agree that there are so many patterns around that are easier to get and use. And, happy belated birthday!

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