Tara is one of the most popular Burdastyle pattern and yesterday I decided to give it a try. It is a top pattern, but as usual I lengthened it to make a dress. The green fabric is another vintage fabric from my mother, it is now pretty old and has a lot of little holes. As it is a traditional cloth from one of the area in Indonesia, the width and length were a bit unusual. I apologize that I can’t remember exactly what area it was from, there are really a lot of areas in Indonesia, each with their own culture and traditional cloth.
Anyway, the pattern is very simple and I really enjoyed making the dress. Everything went smoothly, I cut the fabric and start pinning and sewing. Pin and sew, pin and sew, la-di-da, la-di-dum. And a couple of hours later, I’ve got myself a pretty green dress. I made it in size 32, didn’t make any alteration other than lengthening it, and the dress fitted perfectly. I really like it although the neckline was rather low, but it was expected. Now I understand why it is so popular in Burdastyle.
I hung the finished dress on the wall, it looked very pretty there. When the night came, I lied on my bed and looked at my new dress in satisfaction. But… wait a minute! What is that? Why is the color on one sleeve different from the other? I took a step closer and inspected the dress. Then I found what was wrong with it. One sleeve has the right side of fabric, but the other sleeve has the wrong side of fabric on it!!
It turned out that, in my ignorance, I just assumed that both sides of the fabric were the same, no wrong or right side. Well, it was a traditionally weft cloth, of course it has wrong side, duh! The wreck didn’t stop there, the back skirt of my dress is also sporting the wrong side of the fabric. The dress is doomed.
Now with one sleeve, I might unpick the stitches and start over. But the whole back skirt? I might just cut another fabric and start another dress! How could I do such foolishness? I’ve cut it carefully, look at all those matching stripes! Then I pinned and sewed happily (note to self: when sewing, focus on what you’re doing! No la-di-da, la-di-dum!), tried it on several times, ironed it, and it took me several hours after the dress was finished to realize that something was wrong! Aarrgh.
My husband came back from the office to find me sulking in the bedroom. I told him about the dress, “Look! Can you see what is wrong with the dress? It’s so obvious! What should I do about it?!” Realizing that he was being put in difficult position where any answer could be interpreted wrong, he took some time to inspect the dress and spoke in as soothing tone as possible. “Well, umm…, maybe you can pretend that you did it on purpose, you know, it’s the design or something?” Can I? No, no, no, that’s unacceptable.
In these pictures where I wear the dress, it might look okay. But in real life, the mistake is so obvious! Or at least in my eye it looks so obvious. I have ruined this pretty fabric. Boo-hoo.
Making a mistake is one thing, but accepting the mistake is another thing, the difficult thing. I guess I have no choice other than accepting it. That this pretty dress with perfect placement of stripes and neat topstitching in red thread, the dress that fits me oh very lovely, is so ruined. I will put it out of my sight and make another one because I love this pattern. And I will be very careful this time.
The thought kinda puts my mind at ease. At least for now. Thank you for reading my failure!
Pattern is Tara from Burdastyle.
It’s not what you intended, but it looks lovely — the “mistake” takes advantage of all the colors (wrong side and right side) of the fabric and it looks beautiful. It looks intentional, and from the photos I would never have guessed that we’re looking at the wrong side of cloth.
It would be such a waste of such amazing fabric. I think perhaps you will reconsider after you’ve relaxed about it. If you end up too obsessed with the perfection of it make it a creative challenge and cut it up into the biggest pieces you can and make a neat skirt with embellishments. Surely the top has enough fabric to roll small rosettes or something for it. You look beautiful, and I love your work always!
I actually love the effect! wear the dress, it’s beautiful. I know how hard we can be on ourselves, trust me Id be cursing too if it happened to me. but this fabric really works like this.
Glad that you like the effect! I guess I can really get away with it then 😀
you look so beautiful in that drass, it is so flattering! i wouldn’t mind the right/wrong side of fabric, you indeed can act like it was your intention to do so, but if it bothers you (and it does), undo the stiches and sew it again, the fabric is so so pretty and you shouldn’t just put it away. i know it’s the extra work, but you will be so pleased once you finish it (for the second time).
.-= Sana´s last blog .. =-.
Chin up, the dress looks great on you! And I agree with the others on here who say you can get away with the fabric this way, it looks like it was meant to be like that
I don’t tend to comment much on blogs but i’m an avid reader and i just had to comment here to tell you how beautiful your dress looks. The wrong side of the fabric is really pretty too and the dress as a whole does not look wrong. I quite like the variation in colour where the two different sides of fabric meet. If i were you i’d put the dress aside until i’d got over the initial disappointment and perhaps when you see it again, it will be with fresh eyes. (Making another one in the meantime may help!) It really is gorgeous though, i’m very jealous.
Thank you for the comment, Betty! I guess you’re right, I will put it aside and hope for the best!
“Failed”?? really???But for me it’s a nice dress 😀 I’ve dreamed to make a dress like this
Hi Novita,
I’m so sorry about your “fail”! I can sympathize with your frustration, having been there myself many many many times. But, as others have noted, it still looks amazing (!!!) and fits you beautifully, and I think your husband has a point — you could absolutely make the case that this was done on purpose! Call it a “design element”… :o)
Hei! I’m really sorry about what happened to the dress. I’ve made this kind of mistakes myself, but I usually notice them a bit sooner. But the reason I’m writing is, that I kind of don’t see, what the problem is. The back of the dress is symmetrical, yes? So you could take the pieces apart and sew them back up so that the right side of the fabric is on the outside. Because the pattern is exactly the same, no matter, which side you look at it (am I making any sense). I know it’s a lot of work, but you’ll get the dress you wanted in the end, right? And as to the sleeves. If you have a little bit of fabric left, you can make a new one to replace the one you messed up. Or make new sleeves from a different kind of fabric that matches this one. So, as I see it, it’s not such a tragedy after all:)
The fabric is gorgeous and matches perfectly your shoes! Are you sure you can’t turn it over? Leave it rest a couple of days and decide what to do only when you’re relaxed 😀
I love those indonesian fabrics, is it possible to acquire them online?
.-= Olelé´s last blog ..Front page! =-.
Thank you! Maybe I can do something about the dress once I get over it!
I get my Indonesian fabric from my mother and bought the new ones when I went there for holiday, so I really have no idea where to get them online.
Hmm… then I guess I’ll have to fly to Indonesia… great! 😀
Thanks, anyway!
.-= Olelé´s last blog ..Front page! =-.
Don’t worry, it’s still a very nice dress, you can still use it as everyday dress, don’t waste such a lovely dress and nostalgic fabric. Don’t even bother to seam rip it. Follow your hubby’s advise, being simple and ignore what small matter is the best way, unless the dress is for sale/someone
.-= nomaliza´s last blog ..BARU! Sophie handbag/car organizer =-.
I don’t think it really matters, there’s still symmetry in the dress since both one sleeve and the back is inside out…
and as many others already have said, noone really notice and id they do; you got a good story to go with it..! 
But I recognice the feeling, mum made me a 2-piece dress once and got the zipper in the top up side down; she’s still not over it
.-= Camilla´s last blog ..AX =-.
I think you can get away with it, half o the dress is one way and half the other : ) yin-yang?
Dear Very Purple Person,
First let me thank you for your wonderful bag pattern.
And second, I don’t think it’s a fail at all, a learning experience maybe? If I was you, I’d already have my seam ripper out! And if you don’t want to start over again, is there no way to salvage a tiny bit of fabric? Because you do need a green skirt to go with your shoes.
.-= CarmencitaB´s last blog ..May 26th : Geoffrey Beene =-.
Glad that you like the bag pattern
Maybe I will take out the seam ripper later, I use french seams for the side seams (how clever!) so it makes it harder to unpick them. I learned my experience indeed!
People never really notice, do they? This dress is stunning! I love that fabric! and those colors! And it does look so good on you! Don’t put it away, pleaaaase 😉
.-= By night´s last blog ..Orgie de chocolat =-.
That is such a shame. I you really sure that you can’t get away with it? You know, most people really don’t notice things like that, especially the non-sewers around us. It’s such a pretty dress and you look so gorgeous in it. It would be a shame if you’d never wear it…
.-= Karin´s last blog ..My Creative Space =-.
I am so sorry to hear that. It is such a beautiful dress though, I love the sleeve and the way it falls on your body. Maybe you can hide the mistakes by wearing it at night?
.-= The bunny theory´s last blog ..Yellow Melissa shoes =-.
such a pretty dress!
gosh i dun mind having it. hehehe =)
but i guess the details really matters to u =)
The dress is so beautiful, and I am so sorry this has happened. I know how upsetting it must be. Is there anyway you could still wear it with the idea that it now has an artsy look, like that was your plan?
aww..HONESTLY, it looks GOOD! It looks like the fabrics are suppose to be like that!? BUT, I do understand why you’d be disappointed cause when I notice a mistake I make, I can’t help but stare at it. Well, if you don’t want it, you can give it to me! HEHE
.-= Kae´s last blog ..Bags bags bags! =-.
Indeed! Even if it’s only me who knows the mistake, I would still feel it. That’s kinda annoying, isn’t it?
It is a stunner on you though! You must make another one!
.-= Jenny´s last blog ..Abby Rose =-.
It’s still lovely! Don’t be sad! My daughters think it’s so pretty it should be in a store
.-= hippie_mama´s last blog ..Gamer Spawn =-.
Aww your daughter is so sweet for saying that! Please tell her I say thank you!
well, you wear the dress wonderfully, even if you are sulking in the pictures! i hope you love your next tara. (in your place, i would unpick the stitches and do it over, since the fabric for the dress is very lovely. or, if you want it out of your sights forever, i’d be happy to take it off your hands!…heehee jk)
I truly think it looks wonderful. I noticed the difference, but it looks like you did it on purpose. It is beautiful and it looks GREAT on you! That different-patterns-and-colors is kind of the style right now, anyway! I know what you mean about accepting the mistake, but from here, it looks perfect!
I can’t really tell in the photo that the sleeves are different, looks totally perfect and cute to my untrained eyes. but i know how you feel, you labor so hard and it’s just a bummer if you have to tear it and start from ground zero