Jalie Anne Marie tennis dress

Hey readers!

I made another tennis dress!

And used a Jalie pattern for the first time. The new Anne Marie tennis dress.

This one was super comfortable and held up well for the match I played with my tennis partner . Unlike my last tennis dress made from a 70’s pattern last spring when I first got back into playing tennis after a years long hiatus. I loved the style of it, but it fit terribly in the armholes, and got all bunchy, so I gave to to the Goodwill. But oh that collar!… I wish I had kept it now…

The only malfunction that happened while test driving my Anne Marie was my tennis buddy smashed me in the face when I was volleying at the net, and broke my new Diane Von Furstenberg sunnies. Bummer! but I won the match, haha, so that helped ease the pain a little.

This design has a built in bra. I still need a bit more support, but I like the extra security of the built in bra, anyway.

Here it is on the less bulgy figure of my dress form. We have the same measurements, so why does it look so much better on her? No fair! Measurements are weird. I have the same bust measurement as the form, yet my chest is much fuller. But the back on the form is much wider than my back, so it evens out. And my hips are smaller than my form, even though the form looks smaller. And of course my form doesn’t have that little pooch between the tummy and hip that I have.

I know I’ll be making another one of these maybe soon. Lily also plays, and she wants one, too. So does my tennis buddy. I really scored on this fabric . I bought both on separate trips to FIDM for only a dollar a yard each. They work really well together as they both are the same weight and have a matte texture.

I love this ball pocket! I can fit four balls in it at once. It makes this dress perfect for tennis. I hate having to tuck balls up under my shorts or worse, into the front of my shirt.

OK, I had some trouble sewing that little back portion of the back straps. The entire top is self lined underneath and then there is the built in bra which is designed to fit under the lined the bodice.

Obviously a lot of thought went into this design. But… I just did not get the back part. I feel like it’s one of these things that might just click if I made it again, so I’m going to try. It’s over my sewing head. Or maybe there will be a tutorial on their site soon? Hoping. As it was, I could not figure out the instructions to self line that back piece and attach it to the front at the shoulders. So I used an old fashioned method for attaching linings to bodices then hand stitched the shoulders closed where I pulled the lining through.. You can see that part below. I can’t really explain this part very clearly, but if you try to make it, I think you will get what I’m talking about.

Other than that, which may be user error, the pattern seems really well drafted, and the fit feels great straight out of the envelope in size R. Tracing the pattern from the 22 sizes included in the pattern was a bit of a chore, but I outlined my size with a highlighter so that made it a lot easier. I used my trusty freezer paper to trace the pieces from the original. The cool thing is, now I can make one for Lily and even for Gigi when she starts playing this fall, with all these sizes included.

I also love this slimming panel in the middle and have to say, I’m really impressed with these Jalie patterns. I also bought the new pull on jean pattern and plan to make them in red stretch denim.

The built in bra is finished really nicely. My serger’s air threader stopped working and new Bernina are both in the shop for the next few weeks, so I made this on my little Janome Magnolia. I was glad the pattern explained how to make this without a serger, too. So no, you don’t need a serger to make this type of work out dress. I’m so fed up with my Janome coverstitch machine that keeps skipping stitches, I just may go old school and go back to using my twin needle. I brought it in to the dealer and of course, he got it to work perfectly, but as soon as I used it myself, it started skipping stitches again. Anyone else have this problem?