Butterick 5919 - Keyhole Back Summer Party Dress

 

I present...Butterick 5919, with major adjustments.  With weddings looming last summer, and me broke as a joke, I decided to hit up the stash.  I grabbed this pattern from my local Save-a-thon (a NYC-area haberdashery). 

Why 5919?   I loved the detailing in the front, and the possibility for a contrast panel - in this case, navy linen with Liberty Tana Lawn, lined in muslin, all from my stash.  Plus, that keyhole is pretty neat, as details go. 

Why not?  Fitting the back and neck were a nightmare. 

The original neck was too close and uncomfortable so I went out on a limb and cut it to be more of a boat neck.  I also added some pin tucks in the front and back, to make the neck stop gaping and the keyhole from doing the same.

I did, perversely, enjoy lining up the diagonals on the Capel-patterned Tana Lawn.   I'd been struggling for years (really!) to find something to do with this that wouldn't be too staid.  Contrasted with the solid linen,  this pattern looked actually sort of abstract and edgy. 

Would I make this again?  Hell to the no, it was wayyy too much trouble to fit, and shook my faith in Butterick.  I AM picky about fit - but this was crazy.  

Am I glad I made it?  It's the perfect summer wedding or party dress, and I also wore it to a few job interviews under a blazer.  Total: two weddings, two job interviews, so this is a win for the stash, overall.