Winter Hinterland

I don't know how long I waffled back and forth about making a Hinterland dress. The pattern appealed to me, but I was worried I would end up with a shapeless sack that would loiter indefinitely in my closet before being donated or cut up for scrap. Indie patterns aren't cheap, folks. Plus, the "long" version requires over 3 yards of material, which is a hefty investment if you're looking for a decent quality fabric.

I finally decided to give it a go when I found a clearance deal on stretch flannel in "olive" from Fabric.com -- it's mostly rayon, with a little bit of poly (boo), and it was on clearance for $3.50 per yard. Which meant I was able to make a wearable "mock-up" of the Hinterland for under $13. The fabric drapes well, thanks to the heavy rayon percentage, the little bit of stretch is just right (and didn't make construction more difficult, thank goodness), and the flannel side has the loveliest brushed feel. I think I'm actually using the fabric inside out, though!

Overall, I really enjoyed this project. The first steps (printing, taping, cutting) were tedious because I did them in bits and pieces, but once I was able to invest time in a few good sewing sessions, everything came together nicely. I did have to do a bit of seam ripping, mostly because I was overly confident about my ability to figure out the instructions without actually reading them... Oops. Construction was relatively straightforward, but there were a few techniques I was unprepared for, and reading ahead a few steps would have been quite helpful.

This dress has pockets, and I'm loving that. I usually skip them because I've gotten used to not having pockets, and it's too tempting to just stitch up that side seam and be done. In fact, I was laughing at myself a bit as I pored over the pattern instructions -- pockets are not an advanced technique, but I'm not used to them at all.

The pattern itself seemed well designed -- things lined up where they should, etc., and I thought the finishing techniques were quite nice. I made the skirt as long as my fabric would allow, and also added a few inches of width to the front and back panels (I was worried it would be restrictive, especially since I was making it rather long). I'm not sure the extra width was necessary, based on my undeniably comical "tests" of how wide a step I can take... But it doesn't look too bulky, so no harm done. I think I'll stick to the prescribed width next time. Oh, and I added the optional waist ties, to help quell my "shapeless sack" concerns.

Having opted for a button-all-the-way-down-the-front dress, I didn't have to worry about getting the dress over my head and ended up taking 2" off the waist area by grading from the armhole to the waist on the side seams. Of course, in order to keep the buttons close enough on the bodice to avoid gaping, I ended up with SO MANY BUTTONS down the skirt. And where there are buttons, there are buttonholes... Speaking of buttons, I used some unique metal buttons that were in my mom's stash as long as I can remember -- I commandeered them when I moved out. There were so many that I still have at least a dozen left! I'm not sure the "Equipements Militaires" inscription matches the particular vibes of this dress, but then again, who's going to be reading my buttons? It would just be so awkward, wouldn't it?

I raised the neckline about an inch, but I suppose my biggest alteration was to lengthen the sleeves. I wanted this to be a winter dress, and felt 3/4 sleeves would be a nuisance. I cut the sleeves longer and didn't taper them, intending to add an elastic casing at the wrist for a more feminine look. It worked well (though the elastic is a bit annoying when it rides up my arms), and I think this dress will be the perfect winter staple. Most of my winter clothing is just summer clothing layered with wool, so I think I'll enjoy something intended for winter. Now that Spring is just around the corner. Great planning, Shannon.

This dress is admittedly plain, and it's just begging for a cowl or scarf or shawl -- and as it happens, I have a shawl in my Ravelry queue, so maybe I "need" to knit that soon...