Oh my gosh, I can’t believe I haven’t blogged this dress yet… this post (sans any text at all, ahem) has been in my drafts for over a year now! I feel so neglectful of this thing… it spite of the fact that it’s something I’m very proud of!
Quite a few years ago now, I bought a whole lot of lovely linens from Tessuti Fabrics in Melbourne, while over there on a visit with Mum and Cassie. Aren’t the colours gorgeous?!
I always planned a patchwork thing pretty much exactly like it finally turned out… ! So lucky!
I cut a whole bunch of squares; the ones closest to the top of the dress are quarter the size of the squares in the middle, which themselves are a quarter the size of the biggest squares around the hemline. Piecing them so as to have the colours arranged randomly was a minor but very enjoyable challenge.
Early on I posted the above picture to instagram, to which someone (kindly and without ill-intent) commented that the shaping could all be done in the seams keeping up the appearance of perfect squares everywhere. And I knew straight away that that was a borderline impossible task. I’m perfectly aware that this commenter meant really well but the comment still somehow left me totally paralysed with the weight of expectation. I know, it’s silly; but I guess it’s my fault for sharing progress shots of things I’m making. Somehow doing so seems to frequently lead to a similar outcome.
Anyway, as a result; the project spent the next few months in limbo. I did finally pick it up, left it again, picked it up again, and finally managed to limp through to the finish line, all the time painfully aware that I had failed to achieve aforementioned shaping while keeping the squares perfectly square. I shouldn’t have felt like a failure, but you know. Such a feeling can’t be helped sometimes…
But I am very happy in the end, and even I wore it to Frocktails one year too. It was actually a freezing cold night and it had to be covered up with a warm woolly cardigan most of the night, more’s the pity!
The halter neck design with rather complex, uber swishy skirt is my own, of course; custom fit to my dummy Bessie. It even has pockets, which were actually kind of a nightmare in the patchworked side seams. It also has a side zip, so as to disturb the patchwork as little as possible. The above picture is the initial, unhemmed version, which looks kind of cool but was unfortunately impossible to walk in from being too too long. The final look is a good compromise between a good length, and being able to walk without tripping. A nice balance!
Final take; I am so so proud of this dress, so am kinda bewildered at my complete failure to blog it before now. Well, at least I finally got this, final step finished too. It’s been a fun dress to wear , so beautifully swishy and comfy, and it never fails to garner lots of attention and compliments. So in conclusion; I cannot be happier with it!
Absolutely stunning.
Your dress is astonishing — so lovely! Your great skill and artistic eye are evident here. Congratulations!
Stunning! What a great challenge, and you pulled it off beautifully.
Very beautiful and beautifully made dress! Hooray!
This is stunning! And stunning on you, a perfect garment to wear for Frocktails. I want one. I love the way you hemmed it, too. You really know how to visualize the three-dimensional shape! You also have the persistence to complete your vision. You and your blog are an inspiration to me.
OMG This is completely awesome! I love it. Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Joyful! Absolutely lovely!
Such a gorgeous dress – and the way you increased sizes of the patches going down the dress is ingenious.
The fabric on rolls in the shop did not appeal to my sense of beauty at all. Yet the finished dress is stunning! Impressive work.
I#m really really impressed, love the dress!!!
It’s really stunning. Did you line the bodice? I would live to see a photo of the wrong side.
Hi! I just discovered your blog via an old review on Pattern review that showed up in the sidebar (The Tosti parka). I love this dress… and am looking forward to exploring your blog! I too would love to see the inside; looks like you serged all the patchwork seams?