Sunday, December 11, 2011

Summer Paisley tea dress

On Friday I had a day off work, so I went crazy with the cutting board on the dining room table and cut out three dresses and three tops, all based on the Not Sorbetto pattern.*

This morning I woke up really early and couldn't get back to sleep. Then I discovered there was no Sunday paper to read. So I went into the sewing room to mess around with some of the cut-out fabrics from Friday.

A few hours later I had made myself a new dress to wear to the Brown Owls Christmas breakup this afternoon.

Summer paisley tea dress

Someone needs to weed the side courtyard, and I suspect that someone is me.

Summer paisley tea dress

The fabric is some Kokka Trefle linen/cotton I bought at Calico and Ivy in Sydney in March, when I was there for Sew It Together. I thought I'd only bought enough for a top, but it turned out I had enough for a dress. So a floaty tea dress is became.

Summer paisley tea dress

I didn't make it as fitted as the White Flowers tea dress. Part of me wanted it to be a summery dress I could pop on at the end of a hot day, and not be too embarassed to go to the shops wearing it. And part of me wanted it to be good enough to wear, with a belt, out to dinner at a friend's house, or to a cafe.

So it's not that fitted, and that's OK. It's actually stretched a lot especially in the neck, in the making of it. Even with stay-stitching. I still have to wash and dry it, and it might get popped in the dryer to shrink it a little. But I'm really happy with it, even if the fabric has the potential to, as my mum says, become a bit of a dishrag.

Summer paisley tea dress

I am prouder of this zipper than I should be. But the fact I had a perfectly matching zipper in the stash meant I could be a little cheeky with showing it on the outside of the dress.


* Yes, all based on  Simplicity 2938. Risky? Stupid more like it. I fear I will hate this pattern by the time I've finished with it ... but it fits so well!

5 comments:

  1. If only I could whip up a lovely dress in a day! So nice! I love the fabric.

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  2. Ha, you're hilarious! All of it! I have gotten as far as buying the pattern, yet to use- so if you get sick of it, I'll send you my size to make some for me, no? I love the close up of the fabric, it looks really light and Liberty-ish from afar, then really nice close up. Hope it was a good break up party!

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  3. Wow! You have been industrious! Lovely dress, as you said, hope you don't get sick of the pattern by the end of this, but if it's such a good fit and quick make, I doubt you will as they will all be done and wearing them before you know it!

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  4. Love it!
    I reckon that if you find something that fits so well, and is comfy then stick with it.

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  5. Oh I think that it is gorgeous both the fabric and the style. Wish you lived at least on this side of the world and could hold my hand while I got brave enough to try my hand at clothes making.

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