After my first version, I'd relegated the pattern to the back of the pattern drawer as there were so many other exciting things to sew. Also, I thought the Anna was overdone, overhyped and not that special. Also tbh, it just isn't my usual style.
But then I re-read several versions and decided I needed to make a maxi version of the Anna with that thigh-high slit. I became obsessed with finding the perfect fabric for it since most of my stash consisted of 2m pieces, hardly sufficient for a maxi. I think the smallest amount for that would've been 2.5m, and the sewist was short like me.
So anyway, I embarked on this other Anna with many many adjustments. I don't think I've made so many adjustments to a pattern before! I guess BHL just doesn't suit me out of the packet :(
Love it. Makes me look like I have legs for miles.
This is the first time I'm making a six-gored skirt and for anyone attempting this for the first time, PLEASE CUT OUT THE NOTCHES. You can thank me later.
The skirt comes in seven pieces - 3 for the front and 4 for the back and they all look the same. But they are not the same (at least I don't think they are the same ...). Or at least mark them out somehow so you don't get them mixed up. Sewing the skirts without differentiating the pieces was like dealing with trapezoids from hell, especially since it is a maxi. So much length to unpick if you make a mistake.
Trust me on this one.
I did make a slit for this, but it was at a modest 2" above the knee. Because, y'know, I was wearing this to church.
The cotton satin is my latest fabric crush. It is easy to sew and is breezy comfortable like a cotton, but drapes like a heavy-weight rayon. Huge plus for not wrinkling easily too! The sales staff was demonstrating it to me by crushing the fabric in her hand and she said it hardly needs any ironing. I was sold. Too bad there isn't a wide selection of this, most of the prints were not so nice.
Oh, and this thing here ...
What in the fugly world is that? You might ask.
That ... was my attempt to salvage my pride. Because from the time I made my last Anna to this, I had somehow gained 2 inches to my waist and another several to my hips. What the.
It was a total mystery to me how that happened. I swear the late night kueh lapis suppers had nothing to do with this.
So the finished dress was unbreathably tight. I didn't even thing of making a muslin for this since the pattern worked fine 3 months ago. I was ready to toss this into the donation pile but I really wanted this to work. I wanted my Anna maxi dammit.
So thank goodness I have the tenacity of a pug and the patience of a cow. There was so much unpicking to do, not just because of the length of the skirt, but also because I had decided to
It seemed like such a good idea at that time. Unpicking is a total poo to do though - because there is double the number of stitches, and you have to be really careful about the inner one because of the fragile little baby 1/8" seams.
Eventually it was done and replaced with a 2" wide strip. The tapering was really experimenting off the cuff to see what worked best though I would be happy to redo it if anyone can suggest a neater way of doing this!
[Side story: I got my hubs to help estimate the excess width required so after unpicking the side seams, I slipped the dress over my underwear and sashayed over. So it's a "dress" with no sides at all and though he's used to some of the crazy outfits that I wear, he could hardly himself back. "Uh...honey... isn't this a little too revealing?" HAHA. Yes my dear, it's my middle life crisis showing.]
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