Autumn/Winter Dress...Almost There

So this is what I took my inspiration from this week for my dress, drafted from my blocks I drew last week. Initially I was going to copy it exactly, but then I realised I only really have some tartan that would be the correct drape for it.

Considering that, I decided that the top section  should be something else other than tartan, to contrast with the it and to make me look less like I'm buried in plaid...that's what I'm aiming for anyway. Considering it's going to be below the knee and have long sleeves it might not work, but I'm going to try it out and see what happens.

Here's the pattern so far...

I've split the front 'yoke' bit up with pleats, a little like the ones in the picture below. (The pleats are going to be in that big rectangle on the right.) It's one piece of fabric from the shoulder to the hem, but I am aiming for it to look like they're cascading down the front of the dress...I'm hoping my sewing skills are up to scratch!

I cut the block down to strips the made the strips wider at the bottom than at the top, to give myself more fullness in the skirt. I didn't want to put a seam in at the waist as that would have given the dress more panels and would have made it more complicated - the bit I really want to focus on getting right is the yoke and the pleats, as that is where the faults are going to be easier to spot.

Having said that, as I've flared the pattern out from above the breasts and not the waist, there is a possibility there will be too much fullness there, which might have to be combated with more pleats on the waistline, perhaps like this? Maybe this is a little casual.

I've tried to keep the back as simple as possible as this was meant to be a quick sew - it was only meant to take me a few weeks, but I haven't even drafted a sleeve yet! This will take me a while...I'm aiming to start sewing it by this time next week, after which I have my first ever tutorial for you!

Is there anything you've started that has taken a lot longer than anticipated? How long did it really take you in comparison?

Toni