This will be a short and sweet blog post for a short and sweet project.
I fell in love with this strawberry print fabric as soon as I saw it on Emma One Sock. My only regret is not buying the matching chiffon. (It was polyester, I believe, and I'm trying to buy only natural fibers.)
It is a crisp, lightweight cotton sateen and the print is vibrant and sharp. I bought this fabric with the intention of making one of those ubiquitous square necked, puffy sleeved, mini dresses that seem to be everywhere this summer - until several test bodices made it clear that just wasn't a silhouette I felt comfortable in.
But I had the perfect fallback plan! Cashmerette recently released Roseclair, a woven wrap dress that comes in a wide range of sizes (0 to 32). I love wrap dresses, but I don't sew knits and I am always worried about having enough coverage. Not only does the Roseclair come in multiple cup sizes to cover up top, but the skirt also overlaps completely in the front.
As with previous Cashmerette patterns I've sewn, I didn't have to make any major alterations to this pattern for it to fit. The toile fit right away except for the cuffs, which were a little tighter than I prefer.
Making alterations and multiple toiles can be satisfying, but it is so time consuming. It is really nice when I can make something straight from the pattern.
Even thought the fabric is quite see through, I didn't try to line it. I followed my new philosophy of not lining lightweight dresses and instead wearing a slip underneath. I also finished all the seams very simply. When possible, I did french seams and when it would have been complicated I just zigzagged and trimmed the seam allowance.
The only thing that took any time at all was top stitching the tie which actually goes all the way around the neck to finish the entire front edge, but I'm quite happy with how it came out.
I loved this dress as soon as I had all the pieces cut out. Part of it is the fabric, but part of it is the silhouette. I love the swoopy puffy sleeves and the twirly skirt. I feel soft and romantic and ready to have a light picnic by the river.
I tried pairing this with my new sun hat for real picnic in the park vibes, but by that point my cat had had enough - so please enjoy this outtake of me being scolded for not paying enough attention to him.
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