I first made a dress from Style 4037 in 2018. I wear it constantly - I think it's my favourite dress! It's comfortable, summery and I feel good in it.
So when I was trying to think what to make with this precious fabric I won from Minerva in a contest, I decided to remake this dress.
I love the print and it's uneven enough that I didn't have to worry too much about matching it up across the bodice seams or on the patch pockets. It's a flowy rayon, although this Minerva exclusive print is also available in other substrates (I'm eyeing some linen...).
I always like a square neckline, and it suits this print well. I made this version longer than my first one, partly because longer skirts are in vogue currently, and partly because I love the flow of this fabric around my legs!
There were not supposed to be any difficulties with this one; I made it the same as my last one, taking in a 1/2" at the front neckline and reducing the fullness of the back skirt by half. But it was a bit of a comedy of errors: the bodice was far too narrow, even though I thought I had cut it exactly the same as my last (perfectly fitting) dress from this pattern. I didn't want to waste my fabric so I inserted a 2" band in the centre back - due to the print it doesn't look like an insertion at all, thankfully! Then I stitched the bodice to the gathered skirt backwards, and since I didn't think patch pockets on my behind would be much use, I unpicked it and tried again!
But I finally finished it and really love it. It took me a while to finish - I cut it out and then stalled on it, due to my slowed down sewjo and also due to being distracted by clearing out my pattern stash (it had to be done!) And mistakes while sewing always make me put it aside for a bit, too.
But the pattern is pretty easy if you don't make silly mistakes! I have been repeating patterns this summer as a way to get my sewjo going again. But after a couple of these easier projects, and a look through my entire pattern stash, I'm starting to feel like I want to sew more regularly again. I will still need to go through both my fabric stash and my current wardrobe to streamline those as well, and then I think I'll feel more on top of what to sew next.
Do you ever feel stifled by just having too much and not knowing what to do next? I really want to be intentional about purchasing, making and wearing so that I don't get myself into these bouts of analysis paralysis! The good thing is that I absolutely love this fabric, and am so happy that I've made it up with a pattern I also know I love.
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| Patch pockets on the front! |
