Three steps to a Spring dress

When I started making this dress, I had an idea of what I wanted, but I was also pretty sure it would not work out. I was dreaming of a maxi knit dress with thin straps, despite the fact that the cotton knit I was working with was probably a little heavy to accomodate it. Nevertheless, I was determined to give it a try, but not without coming up with a three step back up plan first!

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The fabric is a deliciously spongy, cotton knit from O’Jolly knits. I’ve used a similar fabric before to make a Megan Longline Cardigan. I know I could have easily made another beautiful cardigan, but I wanted to try something different. What is life without a challenge or two!

I really love this fabric. It’s a pretty knit, a natural fibre, and a delight to wear in Spring and Fall (or Winter in certain parts of Australia). It also launders really well. The cardigan I made in cream a few seasons ago is still going strong, and I wear it frequently.

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To start with, I used the Poppy Dress pattern to make a midi version of the dress. I chickened out of the maxi verison, because I knew in my heart that the fabric wasn’t meant for a maxi. Even so, I still wanted to see what I could do with this fabric. I only overlocked the hem, because I knew it was in for the chop.

The only modification I made to the dress pattern was to remove the sleeve pleats. Such a pretty fabric needs no other details. I especially love the matching ribbing that I was able to use for the neckline and sleeves.

The second version of this dress was produced by chopping off the hem to create a mini. I actually think this version is super cute. If I was 15 years younger, I’d wear it in a heart beat. In fact, I’m pretty sure I had a this exact same dress in 1996. And I know, I know… I could still wear it now if I really wanted to. I just don’t feel like this is my style any more.

Which brings us to my third and final version. I lopped off another chunk of the dress to just below the hip level. To the bottom of this, I added a double layer of beautiful, duck egg linen from The Fabric Store. I think the double layer adds enough interest to balance the texture of the knit up top. I used a single layer of linen for the skirt initially and it just looked a bit plain.

I actually love this third version a LOT and have worn it quite a bit already. I like that it is dressy enough for (my) work, but also easy enough to run errands in with a little pair of sneakers. This is my kind of Spring dress.

Burdastyle paper bag waist pants

This was one of those projects that I made at a completely inappropriate time. I made them about four months ago, just as the Winter weather was starting to kick in. I still haven’t worn them. It’s not because I don’t want to though. Loose linen pants just cannot be equated with a Kansas winter, inside or outside. It’s still far to cold to wear them (-11C today) but I can now see Spring on the horizon, which is possibly why I finally found the inspiration to take some photos. They will make the most delicious Spring pants ever!

Remember the military green shorts I made at the end of Summer? I used the same Burdastyle (111A) pattern for these. I made exactly the same adjustments, but just refined them a little. I shortened the top ruffle by about one inch. It was just a smidgen too high in the shorts. I love the drama of the shorts (and will still wear them) but a too high ruffle flops down a bit by the end of the day. Perhaps a bit of interfacing would help this out though.

Like the shorts, these are also made with beautiful milled linen from the Fabric Store. The shade of pink is so pretty. There’s a lot of pale pinks coming out in Spring RTW right now. Perhaps that’s influencing me a little with colours. I do like a good neutral though.

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Honestly, I can’t remember if I lengthened these pants or not. I may have (I usually do with everything), but I do remember cutting off some at the end as well. I think the pattern is designed to be very long in the legs.

On another note, I haven’t really been in a position to sew much over the past six months but I think things are slowly changing. I purchased and printed an Oslo Coat last night. I’m hoping to get it taped up and ready to cut by the weekend. There’s a good three months of coat weather left here, so I I think I’ll sneak it in just in time. For my Australian friends, Spring in Kansas is generally colder than a Sydney Winter, with the odd bit of frost and occasional snow dustings.

After this, I’m planning on making the new dress pattern by Tessuti Fabrics. How lovely is the Claudia dress?! I was smitten the moment I saw this one. I’m hoping to find enough linen scraps in my stash. I have a feeling I may need to get a little creative though. What’s in your sewing queue? Are you still sewing for Winter (or Summer, my friends downunder)?

Vintage Vogue 2915 // Orange is the new black

I am totally obsessed with orange right now. Instead of filtering by fabric type in my online shopping, I’ve been filtering by colour.

The fabric I used for this trench is an Italian stretch wool suiting that goes by the colour, “pumpkin”. It couldn’t be more appropriate for Fall. Originally, I had my mind set on sewing a trench coat in a heavy silk satin, but economics had me looking at poly satin instead (which I just couldn’t find the love for, or perhaps it wasn’t the perfect shade of orange). In the end, I was sensible and landed on some wool fabric and I’m very glad I did. Anything other than wool just wouldn’t get any wear here in the Midwest.

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The fabric is a beautifully, weighted wool twill, with a significant amount of stretch in both directions. It’s not a knit, but its lycra content meant that I had to treat it like knit. Stabilising the shoulder seams and neckline was essential. I toyed with lining this coat (as per the original pattern), but I really wanted something casual, that I could throw on and go. And lining deinitely wasn’t necessary with this fabric. The wool is perfectly opaque and the underside is as respectable as the right side. In fact, the wrong side is smoother, which makes it suitable for resting against the skin. Lastly, I pretreated the fabric in the machine and dryer before sewing, so I can wash and dry it easily at home.

I used vintage Vogue 2915 with a few small modifications. I sewed a size 12 but adjusted the shoulder seams for a broader back. In retrospect, I possibly could have gotten away without this fit adjustment because of the fabric’s generous stretch. And in fact, a tighter fit through the shoulders (in a stretchy fabric like this) would have resulted in a more consistently nice shape in the sleeve cap when worn because the sleeve cap would stretch over the shoulders. In some of my photos (above and below), the sleeve seam has slipped off my shoulder and the sleeve cap doesn’t look great (because there is no sleeve head to support it). But in the two photos below that, the shoulder seams sit in the correct postion and the sleeve looks perfect. I guess this is also the thing with an unstructured, cardigan-style coat. Technically, the fit is good though, and at least I know that this pattern will fit me well when I’m ready to use it again and make it up in a stable woven.

Other changes I made to the pattern:

• I lengthened the sleeves by 1 inch.
• I ditched the collar and front yoke flaps as I felt they wouldn’t suit the casual drape of the front.
• The front coat pieces have been made wider at the centre front (by about 4-5 inches), to create the front drape.
• I skipped all front fastenings and the belt. The original pattern was double breasted.
• I ditched the lining.
• I drafted a wide facing for the neckline. I used a pretty silk CDC for this. Since I knew the facing would be visible at times, I turned it into a feature point. I used the same silk to line the pockets, sleeve bands, and epaulets.

This was one of those makes that just seemed to grow more involved as I got into it. I set out to whip together a quick trench coat without all the detailing. But once I got started, anything less than a bound buttonhole (amongst other things) just seemed unacceptable. And whilst on the topic of unacceptable, I can’t, for the life of me, remember if I pressed that hem or not… I think Netflix turned my brain to smush while I was blind-stitching it…so it’s back to the ironing board with this trench before I wear it!