Craftsy Sew-Along Review - The Weekender Dress

I signed up for the Craftsy sew-along for the Weekender Dress.  For the sew-along, you get access to the downloadable, printable pattern and Craftsy sends the fabric needed for the dress.  Here is the result.

I am really happy with the dress.  It is very, very comfortable.  The fabric is a knit that feels like a t-shirt.  It has a flattering empire waist and an a-line skirt with a mock wrap bodice.

 The fabric that was sent by Craftsy had red and pink bands around the bottom hem, sleeves and the neck with a black main dress color.  I didn't care for the red and pink together.  If it had just been red or just been pink, I would have used the fabric sent, but with two different colors, it just seemed too random-looking, so I replaced the bands with grey.

Photo from Craftsy Site. The Weekender Dress

Here is the inside of the dress.  I am really happy with how it looks with the edges serged.

 Here is a close-up of the outside.

And now for the review:
The Good

• The fabric that they send is nice.  I didn't care for the color scheme, but it seems like good quality and it washed really well. 
• The pattern is really good (with one very minor issue- the markings for the gathers were a little unclear).  The measurements provided are spot-on.  I was able to adjust the pattern (I sewed a larger size skirt than bodice) based solely on the measurements and *GASP* did not make a muslin. 
• This is a really flattering dress, is wash and wear and I LOVE it.
• It is really quick to sew.  From start to finish, it only took a few hours.
• Price: this was on sale for about $24.00 and that included the fabric and the pattern. 

The So-So

•  Personally, I didn't care for the color combinations.  I wouldn't have put red and pink together, even though I like each separately.  But that is a preference.  I am sure some people loved the way the fabric colors are mixed.

And Now the Complaints

• I didn't care for the sew-along part of this.  I found the instructions lacking.  What I expected from a sew-along is a more detailed version of what you would get in a commercial pattern, but it was even less.  Yes, there were some great hints on working with knits, but the construction section was not as detailed as they needed to be.  If I were a beginning sewist, I would not have had enough information to complete the dress.  
• There aren't enough photos and when there are, they aren't always the right step.  For example, the first step is assembling the bodice and making the gathering stitches.  The photo on that step shows the band around the neck already attached.  However, the band doesn't actually get attached until the next step. I had to look at it a twice to make sure I hadn't missed something.

Conclusion:
If I had it to do over, I would still buy this sew-along.   With the fabric and pattern included, it was a good deal.  And the pattern itself is fantastic.  I will definitely sew this pattern again.  It is easy, flattering and comfortable.