You know how sometimes you have the perfect pattern, and just need to find the perfect fabric? This was a case of having some perfect fabric and not being able to find the exact pattern to do it justice!
This pique-style woven fabric is from Measure Fabric, a small boutique with a brick-and-mortar shop in Savannah GA and a new webshop. They specialize in unique fabrics and they have a lot of really interesting fabrics that you haven\’t seen every other sewing blogger wearing already. This fabric isn\’t up on the website yet but go check out the rest of their inventory. It\’s super spongy and bouncy and feels almost like a technical polo fabric–like Lacoste\’s sport polos–but it\’s a stretchy woven, not a knit. It instantly brought to mind tennis and I thought I\’d do a little play on a tennis dress, not that I, you know, play tennis.
The bodice of this dress is my tried and true vintage favorite, Simplicity 4475. The stretch fabric gives it a slightly less fitted silhouette than it\’s meant to have, which I love. I finally (after three other versions) made a slight small bust adjustment, but other than that, I left it the same. The skirt, on the other hand, took some hacking! This is the slim mini view of another of my tried and true patterns, the Sewaholic Rae. It generally has six panels, but I spliced the center front/back panel together with the side panel (disclaimer: not in a very official way) and then added a shaped facing to the hem for that little shirttail-style hem. It\’s just a subtle change but I\’m obsessed with the difference it makes! This is a trendy detail in sewing patterns right now, and it\’s so easy to add to any pattern. I made a little mini tutorial on how to do it on my story highlights, or here\’s a blog post from colette that shows basically the same technique, just a different shape. I topstitched the neckline and hem facings and the sleeves to add to the casual, \”sporty\” look.
Measure also sent me a gorgeous large-scale black lace–that will be posted next month, but I\’m so excited I might start sewing today! I may even use this same bodice pattern… we\’ll have to wait and see. What is the most times you\’ve repeated one pattern? This S4475/Rae combo brings together what I believe are now my two most repeated patterns!
xoxo,
It's a very elegant dress and looks lovely on you. It's amazing though that you can't find a pattern like this and that you have to combine patterns. The hem is a nice addition. It's interesting that it's a woven fabric because it gives the essence of a knit. Most unusual. The mint is good on you but not a color everyone can wear.
This is such a lovely dress! I really like the hemline, and the photos are great.
It's a cute and fresh dress ! Did you used sewing or overlock machine for the hem with this fabric ?