Thank you for a frightening, confusing, strange and dangerous time. What more could a girl ask for?

This is my second dress for the #sewDollyClackett challenge. I've gone ahead and used my lovely palm tree fabric I bought in Tokyo as I figure an Irish lass like Miss Clackett, who's living in grey old England, must long for a bit of sunshine and palm trees every now and then.

You know what? I feel like I am making the same dress over and over and over again. A little tweaking on each version should, by all rights, be making it perfect. But instead it's making me totally CRAZY!

Yes folks this is my 823rd Party Peplum Dress by April Rhodes. And yes, like the last one...and the one before it...and the one before that, it still bunches up a bit on my butt. I'm finally going to bite the bullet and go full-on with my FBA (Full Butt Adjustment) and shorten the bodice to the smallest size available, XS. So in the space of 4 dresses I've gone from XXL to XS. Makes sense. Or not?

Whilst I'm not a small person I have a very bad habit of thinking that I am bigger than I actually am...bloggers in the rear-view mirror may appear larger than the actually are. I always end up buying clothes that are just too big and not all that well fitted (and I feel like a frump in them)...and now I'm making them too big as well. Le sigh. I think I'm afraid to make this dress in a size smaller than what I think I should wear...in case it doesn't fit and all that effort (and fabric) is for nothing.

Even after all this self-psychological analysis aside it's pretty obvious that this dress is WAY too big. Especially as I've lost 6kgs and 2" off my waist since I first started sewing last year. Clearly...I can downsize.

If you ever see me out and about in the dress do not flip up my hem for a look at the seams as I did some REALLY dodgy "taking in at the seams" after I'd fully completed the dress. The dress is smaller now, and fits better, but it's also a total dogs breakfast on the inside. Unlike people though, it's not really what's on the inside that counts with dresses (well, that's what I'm telling myself anyway). It looks "ok" from the outside, and still gives good twirl.

I think I'm going to make ONE more version of this dress, in the next size down and I'm feeling well and truly ready to move onto something else...perhaps something with a zipper. I have the Colette Truffle Dress pattern at home so I might have a go at that...not sure if my brain can work out the lining component of that or not, but we'll cross the bridge when we come to it.