Sew: Mashup Fail= Simplicity 3503 halter bodice with Simplicity 2580 waist and skirt combo.

One look at Simplicity 3503's halter style and I was in sewing love. Reminding me of my favorite American Apparel Cotton Spandex Jersey Bandeau Dress, I love how halters create a fantastic bust line with a good shaping bra and waist line drape.

However, what I didn't like about 3503 was the gathers at the midriff front. Nor, did I like the midriff design. But, I did like Simplicity 2580. And they are such similar patterns...

So, what's a good sewer to do? Why, a mashup, of course!

........Until you realize that you are utterly sick of the color red, the halter hits too high, the center seam is ugly and you want to throw it in all into the fireplace and burn it while drinking a glass of wine.

But first, a little on the background....

Simplicity 2580 was supposed to come to my rescue. Success with The Hotness reminded me that 2580 had an already graded skirt piece that hit just below the breast line, flowing to the waist and a nicely draped hip. The choice was easy.

But, what about the gathers on 3503? Well, I thought about doing darts. I even drafted the pattern on my pattern making paper, testing the bra cuping in the mirror. However, I slowly began to realize that I didn't want darts - I wanted to get rid of the excess completely for a smooth front.

From the fashion design classes I took during my study abroad at AIU London, I remembered that
I could take the dart excess and put it somewhere - I just forgot where. The side? The arm? I know, pattern making 101 that I'm slowly reteaching myself. After a quick Google search, research and then a quick search on Pattern Review.com, I found this post on removing darts.

After marking the estimated apex, I removed the pleats at the neck strap so that it was flush with the pattern's neck. I also cut from the gathering area at the bottom of the bodice and took it to the side. The neck and the armscye were the only areas not touched.

Made a muslin, retraced the bottom of the new pattern with the bottom of the other for a curved bust line instead of my ill imagined less than curved one.

Finally, I started cutting and sewing, attaching the well loved skirt bottoms around first. Easy and quick!

Then, came the halter.

F- this halter.

F- it to the ends of the Earth.

I don't know if it's the red of the fabric, the fact that I'm not good enough yet to fashion a halter similar to the J Crew one I was sporting during garment construction of what. But, I can't even bare to look at it anymore.

I did everything right in grading the darts, redrawing and fitting it. However, after a sudden, clear as day, snap moment, I realized that the halter hit too high below the breast tissue to NOT have a midriff. There was a reason why, visually, there was a midriff in Simplicity 3503. Because if you try and attach the halter - which, for some reason, is drafted to have a center seam - to a seamless front that stops right below the bra line - IT LOOKS UGLY.

I have a couple of options now. The first is continue it as a The Hotness 2 cowl neck with a complimentary color on top. I was thinking blue. But I might be boring and go with white.

All in all... it could be worse. I could be this person...

I'll finish the dress tomorrow with one of Simplicity 2580's appropriate tops. But, for now, I'm going to the sauna at my gym to relax.