Monday 17 March 2014

A beachy boatneck dress


Feeling very happy with the success of my beachy boatneck top I decided to try mixing it up a bit for Frances Suzanne's flip this pattern series. 

The beachy boatneck  is designed for knits, but I thought it would make a lovely dress bodice in a woven fabric. I looked at various fabrics in blue and white with a view to having a nautical colour theme, but in the end made the virtuous decision to use some cotton-linen from my stash along with some coordinating Prints Charming flower-printed cotton-linen.


The bodice is exactly as per the original pattern, but as the fabric was obviously not going to be stretchy I went a couple of sizes up from the cotton jersey version I had previously made for R. I cut the back in two pieces with 1.5cm added to the inside (centre) edge of each in order to accommodate a zip (good thing I used an invisible one because the closest colour I could find was bright red!). Instead of using the facing pieces of the beachy boatneck pattern I faced the neckline with bias binding made from the Prints Charming fabric. I lengthened the sleeves to be full-length, and as I had some binding left, I faced the sleeve hems for a little hidden bit of colour.


For the skirt section of the dress I cut two rectangles of fabric about 1.5 times the width of the bodice. I made a second 'underskirt' layer in the Prints Charming fabric, making it a few centimetres longer than the top skirt. I pinned the two sections together and gathered them, then sewed them onto the bodice, retaining the curved hem of the original pattern so the bottom of the dress dips in the centre front and back. I really love this effect. And I love the way the dress looks on R, with the classic lines of the boatneck and the little bit of peeking-out floral at the bottom.



As we're moving into the cooler part of the year here in Melbourne, I'm thinking of this as an autumn dress that can be layered with tights and cardigan or worn with a long-sleeved top underneath. The boatneck style is perfect for cooler weather, giving lots of coverage. And that pink fabric will brighten even the gloomiest day. As will this smile:

23 comments:

  1. Wow, Suuuper cute! Great flip, Marisa! It looks really "Spring-y" for us :) But it sure will brighten up some fall days as well.

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  2. Love the pops of color on the skirt and sleeve/neck binding.....and being a fan of drop-waist clothes on kids, I love it!

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    1. Thank you - I love drop-waists too, don't know why I haven't sewed one til now!

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  3. love this version of the pattern. The dress looks fun and comfy. It really is perfect for cooler months :)

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    1. Thanks Jenya. Not that I'm in any hurry for cool weather, but at least it throws up some new sewing opportunities - R has more than enough summer dresses at the moment!

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  4. Adorable dress! I bet my daughter would love this, too! Great flip!

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  5. Nice job, and what a gorgeous model!

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    1. She may be cute, but every photoshoot involves bribery! You'd think the clothes would be enticement enough...

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  6. The matching binding and contrast "underskirt" is so cute!

    I also just want to let you know I am nominating you for the Liebster award as I have really enjoyed reading about your makes :)

    http://anothersewingblog.wordpress.com/2014/03/20/liebster-love/

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad to hear you enjoy my blog. I have really enjoyed reading yours too - lots of inspiration. Will pop over and check out your Liebster post.

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  7. This is really beautiful! The color combos are so pretty too!! Your daughter is gorgeous btw, and I might be having a little bit of hair envy right now!!!!

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    1. The hair may be gorgeous but it's a nightmare to brush - so I'll be chopping a bit off as soon as I can persuade her to cooperate!

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    2. LOL…I didn't think about that!!! My daughter's hair is super easy to brush except for in this ONE spot which for some reason always gets tangled. She sees the hair brush and starts crying…every time. Fun times for us! ;)

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  8. I love this design!!! And what a beautiful color on your daughter!

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    1. I adore this colour but don't really want to wear it myself - good thing my daughter likes it too :)

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  9. This is one of my favorite "flips"! The dress is gorgeous - design and colors! You are brilliant!

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    1. Thank you so much Sara. I just checked out your flip - really lovely. Going to go comment on your blog now :)

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  10. It is adorable! I love the colors and fabrics.

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