All over the World

I spotted this fabric at a local fabric market and loved the print immediately, but it was obviously meant for home decor. However, I just kept coming back to it. (The fact that the rest of the market was mainly the same old cutesy prints meant for children's clothing and polyester monstrosities surely did help). In the end, I figured it might work as a very structured dress and took it home with me.

So that's what I made! This is the first pattern I drafted from scratch, starting from a bodice block. I hardly made any changes, apart from lowering the neckline and giving it a v-shaped back. The skirt is just a rectangle with wide box pleats.

I really like how the combination of the print and the stiffness of the fabric make this look like a paper dress. It turned out to be a great conversation starter as well! This was a project with a lot of 'first times' in it: my first self-drafted pattern, the first time I fully lined a dress, the first time using topstitching thread (around the neckline and armholes).

 

I would have done a few things differently, would I make this dress again. I used an invisible zipper but it isn't very invisible, since the fabric is so heavy (and the bodice is tight). This is definitely not a dress for long dinners either, I made the muslin without accounting for the extra bulk of a heavy fabric and a lining, so there isn't that much ease. I do really love wearing it though, it's one of my favourite handmade items so far!