The Monday morning after the Frocktails weekend we headed off on our family holiday to end the summer holidays. We rode bikes, swum in the river, bushwalked in the mountains, read books and were, by virtue of appalling internet connectivity largely cut off from it all.
Perfect for summer holidays I had finally come on board with the "sack dress". This one was my first make of 2016
After all the pre-Christmas muslin fitting of my Frocktails dress I felt I needed a little breather and something simple before I actually cut into my fancy fabric.
I'd been enjoying wearing my Lisette B6182 top and thought I'd give the dress a go. All it required was tracing the bottom half of the pattern and I was ready to sew.
In a moment of either inspiration or madness, jury's still out, I'd picked up this very colourful rayon print from Spotlight with the intention of making a simple summer dress.
It's a very loud print for me but I'm kind of liking it. We're having a holiday to Queensland around Easter time and I'm sure in those parts it will look right at home. And it is summer, I suppose I shouldn't wear grey, black and brown all year round..... although I do, and I like it that way.
The rayon is nice and light and floaty, but perhaps not so well suited to a hot weather sack dress as it feels a bit sticky. In cutting the fabric I was mindful only of not landing a red flower on any one of three anatomical points on the front. Otherwise it was just folded and chopped and stitched up in an evening.
After my Frocktails dress had come together I had a spare evening and decided the Sunday morning recovery breakfast was also an event worthy of a new frock. This time I stuck with my usual colour palette, and perhaps my Frocktails 2016 theme colour - beige ;)
I cut into my Nani Iro Spectacle fabric that I'd bought at Tessuti and stashed away. There had been so many different ideas for what to do with this fabric, and I was at risk of never using it for all the planning and thinking.
Another one night sew and I had a dress to wear to ride my bike into the city - yep this is a cyclist approved pattern. Only hitch was that I hadn't counted on the Cotton Undies Double Gauze Interface Issue (or CUDGII).
I had my perfect light, floaty and breathable fabric this time, but it did want to keep catching on my knickers. I wore a slip underneath and ended up overheating in the summer sun afterall.
The pattern has these neat bust darts from the centre seam that give it just enough shape. The sleeves are a kind of dropped kimono sleeve with a cuff, and then the neckline is finished with a little facing. Truly a lovely dress to sew.
I knew I did not want it to look like I'd matched the print across the centre front and back seams, so I cut out all four body pieces singly. That allowed me to offset them and still scrimp on fabric.
In considering the print, the brown "bushy" part obviously had to be put where it wouldn't offend. There is also an occasional background watercolour "puddle" of yellowy brown that could easily look like a spilt coffee if it ended up on the front bodice, or a much worse accident if it was poorly placed down below. More pitfalls than you might expect!
Details:
Pattern: Lisette B6182
Size: 16 (1 inch added length at waist)
Fabrics: Rayon print from Spotlight and Nani Iro Spectacle from Tessuti
Again? For sure. I can easily see how the sack dress gets sewn over and over again whichever pattern you choose. I'm loving the shape and sleeves of this one.
I am reading this while nursing Hazel to sleep and I kept waking her by laughing (quietly) at your fabric placement comments. I really like this pattern on you. I'm partial to the neutral but both look great on you! Thanks for the heads up on CUDGII. 😅Do you call them undies down under?
ReplyDelete:) my apologies!
DeleteYep, we say undies. Maybe knickers if it's fancy and lacy. My mum, who's English (by birth but very Aussie now) says panties - but that always sounds a bit ooh-err to me. I guess it's her way of saying the English Pants but without the possible confusion that she's talking about trousers.
There was a time when my fancy knickers outnumbered my undies! :)
I'm with Rachel, I almost spit out my water when you got to the discussion of "the brown bushy part." More pitfalls than you'd think! AAAAAAAHHHHH!!! And the CUDGII may be my new favorite acronym! I must say, I love bright colors, but I like the Nano Iro version the best on you, just because it is more "you," plus the fabric is incredible, brown bushy bits (snort!) and all!
DeleteKeepin' it real Inder! There's probably a whole generation of young dress wearers who don't relate to "brown bushy parts" but hey.
DeleteI like the Nani Iro best, but I'm pleasantly surprised by the other and I might experiment like that more often.
Both dresses look smashing. The jury is in for me and I think the brightly coloured fabric looks good on you.
ReplyDeleteThanks Deb. I wasn't too sure about the bright floral. Sometimes it takes a photo rather than a look in the mirror to feel better (or worse :) ) about a fabric or a dress.
DeleteI love both dresses. I think the rayon print one is perfect for summertime, as it's nice to wear something bright once in a while, right? (I say this as someone who wears predominantly black and grey -- oh and navy if I want some color.) You know I always love me some nani IRO, and thank you for confirming what I have long suspected/worried about when using double gauze for a skirt or dress (i.e., CUDGII)!!
ReplyDeleteYep CUDGII is real. I'm told that wearing colour is sometimes appropriate but I'm with you that navy, grey and brown are colours!
Deletelooks great - I have that pattern and will now give it a try - at least when we get to our summer!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kathleen. I'm flattered if I've inspired you. For a simple dress it's surprisingly shaped and really quite pleasing as a pattern. The skirt is definitely worth a go - I wear mine heaps - although I'd like to reshape the waistband if I'm allowed to be so fussy.
DeleteI have to say I do not think it would have occurred to me to so carefully place the pattern on the Nani Iro print - but you are right, that yellow-brown "puddle" could have been quite offensive in the wrong spot. That said, I really like the print and it suits you; no wonder you stick to browns and beiges ;)
ReplyDeleteCheers Masha. I thought that fabric would be so easy to cut, but it did need consideration. You can't really see the watercolour puddle in the photos anywhere. It's only up close that it would look like a dodgy stain. It certainly feels like my kind of fabric so I'm glad to hear it looks like it suits me too!
DeleteLove these dresses! Gotta dig this pattern out of my stash and give it a try. Also, CUDGII = hahahahahaha
ReplyDeleteThanks Meg, You've been warned re CUDGII!
DeleteA nice linen or a printed silk would be fabulous for this dress.
Love the beige but I think your bright number will be great for Queensland
ReplyDeleteThanks Nicole. That 's just how I feel about them. The colourful one reminds me of my mother in law and she's 50% Gold Coast 50% Toorak! :)
DeleteI saw these two dresses on Kollabora and I have to say your choice of fabrics/prints made them both so beautiful! Great job and your Frocktails dress, is absolutely stunning- your hard work paid off!
ReplyDeleteThanks Elizabeth. I have a pattern not too dissimilar to your grey wool dress and I love the idea of a winter wool dress now. We're always yearning for the opposite weather, right?!
DeleteOh I love your pattern placement comments, so true and you did a perfect job on both dresses. They look so different and love the "beige" version but can the bright floral right at home in Queensland.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sharon. It's incredible how different a fabric type or print/colour can make a dress look. I've currently turned myself right off a different dress pattern due to dreadful muslin fabric. Can't see past it for now....
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