… new dress!
I feel like I’ve been wearing the same little summer dresses over and over and over. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! because I like them all 🙂 but a few of my standbys are getting on their last legs and the wardrobe needed new blood. And there’s still a lot of summer to go.
I’ve been eyeing off dress E from the Stylish Dress book by Yoshiko Tsukiori ever since I got the book, in fact it was my Sew Bossy dress of choice for Reana Louise! I loved hers and alway wanted to make one for myself too… one day. The book is chokka with patterns for cute and practical little summer dresses that are absolutely perfect for our hot Australian summers, and this pattern is yet another goodie although I ended up making quite a few little changes. Some due to my fabric; a red/cream cotton gingham with a very slightly crinkly, seersucker-y texture, from Spotlight.
The front of dress F has five box pleats in the bodice and I was determined for the gingham pattern to match perfectly on the front.
Please excuse and/or feel free to skip the following; where I boast obnoxiously about my perfect pattern matching. Yes, there are five box pleats up there *insert smug self back-patting*
There’s only one way to pattern match to that degree, and that’s to pin the flippin’ heck out of it. I pinned at each and every check intersection, basted each pleat and inspected for flaws obsessively before the final sew. I’m pretty pleased, even to my eyes I can’t see the joins at all. And I’m pretty fussy 😛
Matching the pleats into the gingham weave like that necessitated cutting the front piece to a different width from the pattern piece.
It’s not hard to work out how to do this, the only criteria is that the front fits onto the front facing piece once pleated. A little quality time with the tape measure and some mental calculations to exercise the ol’ brain cells a bit. Each box pleat is 6 checks wide, with 4 checks in between each one and it turned out that the overall width of my front piece is slightly narrower than the pattern piece.
Other changes: gathering looked terrible in this bouncily textured fabric, so I cut the back skirt straight, eliminating gathering into the bodice. The sides were slimmed down considerably, tapering out to 10cm off each side at the hem, I added in-seam side pockets instead of patch pockets. I did put the little cap sleeves in to start with but they just felt a bit too “busy” in gingham, so I unpicked them off and finished the armholes with a bias-cut strip inside instead. The pattern is quite short so I lengthened my dress by 10cm, with a little tuck at the original hemline, just for fun 🙂
So yeah, I have nothing much more to say!
I’ve made a cool and breezy, simple and uncomplicated little summer dress. I love it already 🙂
Oh, and Gabrielle and I are twinsies today! I had nearly finished this dress and was amazed when Gabrielle posted a picture of her red gingham dress on instagram! great minds thinking alike, of course 🙂 check out Gabrielle’s gorgeous gingham dress here
Dress; dress E from the Stylish Dress book by Yoshiki Tsukiori, red cotton gingham
Thongs; Havaianas
Perfect summer dress. And pattern matched like boss!
What a lovely fresh looking summer dress. Very nice and cool looking.
A bonus: the bodice pleating would make it safe to skip a bra! Not that we do such things. Nice work, pleat-matcher. Nice work.
thanks A!
Both gingham but very different. I like the back if yours far more than the original. Great pattern matching.
Oh I love it, I knew I would – great minds indeed, lol! I totally agree that this sort of loose, breezy shape is perfect for summer, and I think in-seam pockets make for a more slouchy, relaxed feel than patch pockets. Your check matching is impeccable, and the dress looks wonderful on you!
What a lovely summer dress. Thanks for sharing all the pleating details too. This isn't boasting…it's providing interesting and valuable information which we all appreciate.
That gingham matching! You're a true ninja 🙂 This dress is so perfect for summer: light, breezy and effortless by the look of it. I have been eyeing this one for a while too and like your inseam pockets as a replacement for the patch pockets. They do look a little juvenile as they are in the pattern. I'm motivated to add this one to the queue now!
I love it!!! It is so summery looking.
amazing gingham matching!!
Cute little dress and your gingham pleat matching is magnificent.
Superb!
That's a very nice summer dress, just oerfect for you. The gingham is matched wonderfully!
Gotta love red gingham! and those box pleats! completely flawless.
That gingham matching! O_o I am in awe, Carolyn!!!
This looks so lovely! I've always liked dress E, but I wasn't convinced that I could wear it as it looked too billowy. Love your modification in removing the back gathers, it makes for a more chic and wearable silhouette. I'm gonna shamelessly copy that mod 🙂
Very cool and summery!
Looks like a cool dress for your hot summers (there is frost outside as I type!). I love your observe pattern matching….of course, is there any other way!!
*sigh* I am seriously longing after alllll your little summer cotton dresses. so effortless, cute, and POCKETS. this reminds me a little of the red dress you made a few years back. i think i need a summer wardrobe overhaul.
Love love love that dress! And beyond impressed with the pattern matching 🙂
thank you so much Janet! 🙂
lovely, I expect it keeps you nice and cool.
thank you Louise 🙂
So cool and stylish in it's simplicity. I am working through a vintage pattern at the moment and my mum is coming round to do a fitting this morning. Hooray! Jo x
Oh, that is so cute! As for the pattern matching… I thought I did a reasonable job with my pattern matching, but this is amazing! It looks so cool and fresh to wear too. Perfect summer dress.
I"m going to make this and copy you! I love it!
A perfect dress for purpose. The pattern matching is stunning. Well done Carolyn.
My goodness! You'd never know there were pleats in the top they were matched so perfectly. Perfect job Carolyn. I've been thinking of doing something like that for myself with pleats in the top, I'd forgotten all about it until now!
Wow, that pattern matching is superb! Details like this take a garment to the next level.
Great dress! and a reminder to get my book out! I've pondered Style E for over a year now, would be wonderful for spring. Like your changes.
Oh my goodness, I have this book and have been eyeing that dress…. and I absolutely adore your version!
This is awesome! Basically exactly what I want to wear as soon as the hot weather hits! And your print matching in those box pleats is just bonkers. Totally awe inspiring!
that is really cute for summer, I think I need to make some of these easy breezy summer dresses. Gingham is so fun to work with
The dress is very cute, although too short for my older legs now (there was a time). By the way, I love your dog. She looks like she (?) is a very good friend.
You should boast about that pattern matching. I can't tell at all! Beautiful work!
I just finished a dress from Sew Chic out of silk and am dreaming of summer weather to wear it in…
That's so funny you & Gabrielle made similar dresses at the same time! I love them both! Your pattern matching is impeccable and the fabric looks perfect for summer. Ah you're making me long for summer, ours is still so far off.
beautiful and cleverly done
It looks so fresh and breezy 🙂
thanks dkswife; it feels like that too 🙂
pfff! the assembalge folds !!! perfect …. This dress is really beautiful! I, who am not neither red vichy, I wear it well! biz
What a great dress for that hot weather you are having in Perth. I'm smiling about the red check sewing coincidence with you and Gabrielle. My mum and aunt have had several instances of coincidence sewing over the years – same pattern, or same fabric and once same pattern, same fabric!
Boast away! That is seriously impressive matching. Cute dress, looks perfect for warm weather!
Ooh, I love that!! The Stylish Dress Book has such great patterns!
Lovely! You just made gingham cool.
Great dress! A good twirler. Have you ever used fork pins (Clover)? Quilters use them and Susan Khalji showed them in her Craftsy class. When you want two layers to stay perfectly still you stab a normal pin through the match points and then place a fork pin with a fork on either side of that match point. Remove the stab pin and on to the next point. It works really well, although I sew (slowly and carefully) over them and then remove.
Lucille, thank you!
No, I've never seen nor heard of fork pins, not even when I did quilting either! How would they function differently from just using two pins though?
Red gingham is a classic! Love it. Love the easy shape.
Good golly, any back patting is well deserved. Here, let me help you (pat pat pat, hooray!). Just lovely!
I love this dress on you. Nice work.
This is a perfect job, dear friend !! This dress is so enjoyable …
Perfect summery dress and those box pleats! Now who has Sienna got in her sights!
Super job matching those pleats – amazing. Beautiful dress. And congrats on you being featured in the February/March issue of Vogue Patterns Magazine! Certainly well deserved.
thanks Tomasa! I'll really have to try and get a copy of that issue 🙂
Hi Carolyn, your blog was mentioned in a Quebec,(Canada) news article 🙂
http://www.lapresse.ca/le-soleil/vivre-ici/mode/201501/28/01-4839391-portrait-de-couturieres-autodidactes.php?utm_categorieinterne=trafficdrivers&utm_contenuinterne=cyberpresse_B9_vivre_259_accueil_POS2
thank you for letting me know, Ann 🙂
Love the frock, perfect for summer. I laughed at your maternity photo, then realised that I had a maternity dress very similar made from a 1960s Enid Gilchrist pattern book. It was black & white gingham and saw me and a friend through five pregnancies in the 1990s and then another four pregnancies for two sisters-in-law in the early 2000s. It was still going strong so went off to the op-shop after all that. My pattern matching could not even BEGIN to compete with your excellence.
thank you fashionista! that's a cool story; cotton gingham is tough stuff that lasts and lasts and lasts. I wish I could find more of it! and yes, this would be a perfect maternity dress too!
What a wonderful light and fresh summer look! I love the gingham. Also wouldn't mind some of that blue water and blue sky. I've been "away" for a bit and look forward so much to catching up on all your recent posts over the next little while.
Carolyn?
Greetings from the east coast for 'well known' reasons – sigh,
Gerlinde
Pattern matching Jedi! Good work!
Love the gingham fabric and your matching work with it! Well done! The front pleats are so cute, the dress silhoutte is simple but soooo cute.
It feels awe-inspiring to read such informative and distinctive articles on your websites.Read me
I made up the same pattern for my daughter a few years ago. I love yours! I just bought some red gingham today and am so tempted to copy you! It's been a long time since sewing from my Japanese pattern books.
such a lovely dress 🙂
Thanks fo rsharing this beautiful dress in our Sew Along! And thanks for pointing to the pleats in the gingham weave. They are so perfectly macthed and sewn that I did not even ask myself about how there could be pleats in the lower part of the dress 😉
That is some impressive pattern matching Carolyn. Great dress!
Perfect work! It looks really very, very nice!
pertect match pattern <————-> fabric! veryvery beautiful!***
Great check-work! I am impressed!
The dress looks amazing on you!
Great work! I´m really impressed!
Greetings,
BuxSen
Love this! Greetings from the other half of the earth. 🙂 Liebe Grüße, Griselda K
I must make a "copy cat" of your dress and was wondering how big the checks are on your dress? I can't find any gingham locally and will need to order it. I'm seeing a lot of 1/8" which is surely too small. I was thinking it must be 1/4"-1/2"? The dress is beautiful and something I would love to have for the upcoming northern hemisphere summer. 🙂