2026 me - *embarrassed coughing* I've just finished my third version.
To be fair, I did admit in my post on my second one that the Grace Dress from Wardrobe by Me had grown on me. And as predicted, I do wear both dresses a lot. So much so that I decided that I needed a cooler version for when it's too hot for a dress with long sleeves and cuffs.
While on the Great Muslin Hunt for my 1915 ensemble (explanation coming soon), I came across a bright floral cotton lawn which was both lovely and half price, so naturally I caved in and bought a length. It was perfect for my summer Grace.
There's not much to say about the construction that I haven't said already. Only that because the fabric is so thin, this time I used plain white cotton in a couple of places so that pattern wouldn't show through to the front. The first was the inside yoke. Because I still don't fully understand or trust the burrito method, this involved checking and rechecking that I had the white and patterned pieces the correct way round. I even photographed the burrito before I unrolled it, so I could re-roll it for unpicking if necessary!
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| Just in case I needed it |
Fortunately, I'd got it right.
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| All done |
The second place was the outer layer of the pocket bags. I wanted to be sure that the white wouldn't show at the pocket edge, so I gave it a wider seam allowance, laid it slightly inside the skirt piece, and machined through all the layers close to the folded edge.
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| Inside view |
From the outside, it just looks like the top-stitching I normally do on the pockets.
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| Outside view |
The short-sleeved version of the pattern includes a wide frill around the bottom edge.
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| Line drawing of the sleeve option |
A quick scroll through the gallery pages of this blog will show that I don't do frills (with the exception of Vogue 8388, where the ridiculous frilliness was the whole point). I considered either a pleated edge or a circular frill and, in the absence of Mum, bombarded my friend F with pictures of possible options. Her view was that the sleeves were better just left plain, and she was right. (What she doesn't realise is that she has now got the job of Official Second Opinion, something which she may come to regret.)
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| Completed dress, with plain sleeves |
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| #sewnshownseated |
I still have some fabric left over, so am wondering what else I can make.
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| More in than out, as ever |
Finally, for once, here's a rare shot of one of my creations in the wild! Way back in the days when I used to dance, Meroe was the director of our middle eastern dance troupe, Ya Raqs. I wore the (completed that morning) dress to her birthday party yesterday, and was able to get a photograph with her and two of the other Ya Raqs girls. Of course, we had to pose outside the tent we used at events.
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| L to R - Meroe, me (Noor), Pheonece and Kebi |
I'm sure that like the other two, this third Grace will get a lot of wear.
Great make! That print is really flattering. So bright and cheerful!
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