When it comes to picking new projects, I am inspired by both fabric choice and pattern choice pretty equally. This time it was the pattern that drove my decisions. I just adored Vogue 1499 when it was released this past spring. What really makes this design special is the way the stripes are laid out – front and back bodice on the cross grain, sides on and angle, pleated skirt a continuation of the cross grain. Shortly after I bought the pattern Mood posted a black & white striped floral embroidered cotton woven to their website. Perfect! I’ll take 2 yards please!
I washed and dried my fabric prior to cutting it out and the embroidery crinkled up a bit. It’s kind of like a seersucker fabric now, which I quite like for a casual summer dress. Wrinkles to NOT show, and this white is totally opaque. Consequently I decided to forgo the lining.
I cut a straight size 12 – my typical size – and ended up taking the side seams in a little over an inch from the armpits tapering to nothing at the waist. Early on I knew I wanted to leave off the little cap sleeves. Something about the angle of how they connect to the bodice just bugged my eye. Instead I wanted to add a sporty cut-in sleeve element, so I raised the front and back neckline and used a RTW shirt to guide my scissors as I trimmed out new armholes.
I matched the embroidery pattern across the center back and took my time on the zipper to ensure the stripes lined up.
The neckline and armholes were finished with bias tape. All the inside raw edges were finished with my machine’s overlocking foot. It’s a nice weight of a dress – not too light to wrinkle or see through but not too heavy to be hot during the summer.
