I made this belated birthday present for Cassie; we recently went on a girly shopping expedition together for her birthday present and spent hours browsing, looking at pretty things, chatting, having hot chocolate and enjoying ourselves! we had lots of fun but she couldn’t decide on anything that she liked. Finally I suggested, hesitantly, would she like to go to Fabulous Fabrics to get some fabric of her choice and I could make her a dress of her choosing? and she delighted me by immediately agreeing. She’s so sweet 🙂 I say “hesitantly”, because while I love to sew things for my family I absolutely do not want to force the products of my sewing on them. And I often worry that my love of sewing is influencing them to ask for me to make something for them, just to make me happy; if you know what I mean.
Anyway, happily she says she loves the new dress, and plans to wear to work at her office with her black ballet flats as well as sometimes on the weekend with sandals. The pinky-brick/terracotta viscose from Fabulous Fabrics is a fabric Cassie has loved for “ages” and she chose the dress style based upon one we had seen in Morrison, with some minor design alterations to make it what she wanted in her birthday dress.
The result is quite plain, with its main feature being a wide front tuck emanating from the neckline and disappearing into the body of the dress. I started out with my standby, plain sheath dress pattern Burda 8511, and rotated out all darts, cut it with an 8cm tuck allowance in the front panel, i.e. an extra 16cm width at the neckline tapering off to nothing by the hemline. I scooped out and widened the neckline, added inseam side pockets, rouleau belt loops and a long self-fabric sash.
The side and pocket seams are French seamed, with a hand stitched, narrow hem.
I’m extremely happy with how chic Cassie looks in the new dress 🙂
Details:
Dress; own design, using Burda 8511 as a starting point, terracotta viscose
Shoes; from Hobbs shoe boutique
How could anyone not want clothes you had made!!? That dress is a classic and I'd love to have it (with sleeves) in my closet. I'm amazed your daughter doesn't constantly hound you for clothes – no one could ever dress her better.
Cassy looks lovely- very classy. She's got a good eye for fabric too, some viscose I've bought in the past has just hung without any body to it, but this viscose is like a crepe, I like it.
Your pattern drafting skills are excellent. If you had the time, I'm sure a lot of your readers would love to read more about how you do this.
Lucky Cassie!
How wonderful! I just love that colour and when I first saw the picture It immediately reminded me of something from Morrisson or Flannel. The fabric is beautiful and looks wonderful on her. I've never been to Fabulous Fabrics but I remember going past it many, many times even as a kid on my way into Myer. I never really thought much about it until I began sewing, the fabric is so beautiful and way too pricey for my uni student budget and lack of skill. Hopefully one day! I walk past at all the beautiful bridal lace in the windows and dream!
Alecia xx
thanks Alecia! I highly recommend going into Fabulous Fabrics, it's my favourite shop 🙂 It has fabrics in a whole range of prices so if you do go in you may be pleasantly surprised, it's not all expensive laces and silks.
What a wonderful birthday present! Everything about this dress is stunning, and Cassie looks so elegant and chic.
She chose her gift so well – it's a beautiful, elegant dress and she looks so chic in it :). Even the colour looks like it's all hers! Perfection and a happy daughter 🙂
Cassie clearly has inherited her mother's innate sense of style. A most beautiful gift.
Wow, what a beautiful dress Carolyn. So elegant and classy.
It's just so lovely, the colour, the chic styling, the fit and the drape. Any chance you could show us a pic of it laying flat without the belt? I'll have to look up Morrison – are they a WA brand?
thankyou FT, and yes, Morrison is a WA designer. Their clothes are just so beautiful; if I was going to buy something rtw their shop would be one of my first choices 🙂
Happy belated birthday to Cassie! A fun shopping day and pretty fabric made into a perfect dress.
thank you so much Judi!
I totally understand what you mean by "I absolutely do not want to force the products of my sewing on them". I have the same apprehension when sewing or knitting for a gift. But this dress is lovely and so perfectly crafted, your daughter must have been delighted.
What a beautiful dress! Your daughter looks lovely in it, she chose well for her birthday dress!
This is beyond beautiful – and so perfectly worn!
Платье сидит очень хорошо и стоит отметить роскошную ручную работу! Аплодисменты! 🙂
Ah, to be young and Cassie! She is so lovely, and the dress frames her perfectly.
Cassie looks fabulous and you have passed on your love of the POCKET! Well done you. Jo x
This is gorgeous! What an effortless and chic look. Beautiful choice for your daughter!
WOW such class and style! Very sophisticated, and I wish I could wear something like this!
Fabulous dress!
thanks Jennifer C! 🙂
What a chic and lovely dress. Your daughter looks gorgeous in it! I feel the same way about offering to sew things for my family.
That is just so pretty! It looks wonderful on her!
I sympathise with you fears, but glad to see that they look unfounded ☺ This dress compliments Cassie so nicely.
Lovely!
beautiful and great color. that idea of the simple tuck is so chic – I may have to copy that one. It would be nice on a top as well.
Beautiful dress! I love the color. Your daughter looks stunning in it!
so simple and elegant! and cassie looks lovely in it! and i really like this color (too bad i rearly see any fabric in that color)
This dress is so lovely! I love the front tuck. It's simple and elegant.
Wow! This looks absolutely stunning!
Amazing!! That dress is stunning – elegant and chic!
This is lovely, elegant and simple. What do you mean by rotating out the darts though?
thank you! Rotating out the darts is something I learnt from Pattern Magic, it's hard to explain but the visuals in this post might help illustrate. In the case of this dress; I used the Burda pattern pieces more as a guide when gauging how the shape of my pieces was going to be, rather than as a pattern; but as a starting point I folded the back neckline and bust darts in and ignored the back waist darts.
Lovely! All from a simple shift dress. Clever.
Cassie looks gorgeous in her new dress and love the colour.
Such a clever design with a stunning result. Cassie is a very lucky girl to have such a talented mum.
Oh my goodness what a gorgeous dress! Cassie looks amazing! I just love that colour too, I had some gorgeous fabric from my mum in a similar colour & would love to find some more.
Such a pretty color!
This is such a gorgeous dress and your daughter looks stunning. Your sewing always amazes me.
Pretty dress in a lovely color. Looks fantastic on her!
You have transformed a pattern I would never look twice at into something spectaaaaacular! I adore this dress, especially that front tuck.
Stunning.
Beautiful dress and perfect for your daughter x
This is simply stunning – the colour of the viscose is gorgeous! I love how you worked from the original pattern and hacked it. Rotating darts is on my to learn list for 2015!
Your daughter and dress are beautiful. A nice gift of a loving mother. KISS
gorgeous – the neck tuck is a great idea,
Perfect in every way. I love how the tuck blends down into the dress. Did you widen the whole dress as well as adding the tuck? It looks looser-fitting than the pattern picture.
thank you Megan! and yes; I cut wide in the body so as to allow for those inseam side pockets. I used the Burda pattern as a starting point/guide, but really the dress deviates from the pattern just about all over, except for the armholes 🙂
I feel so inspired when my family ask me to sew for them. It's what I live for no matter the occasion. Like you, I try not to be pushy. The dress is beautifully done, something I believe she will treasure.
Bless you for thinking that your family members wouldn't want your sewing. You are crazy–though I know what you mean. I never wanted my mom to make me anything. My husband doesn't get a choice 😉 Cassie's dress is beautiful.
This dress is lovely. I really like the design. I'd love to copy it – for someone as gorgeous as your friend – one of my daughters.
thank you Anne, and Cassie is my daughter!
This dress has a gorgeous shape, and is in such a chic fabric. Cassie looks really beautiful in it. Nicely done.
I still sew for all of my kids and thankfully they still welcome it. Although if Mum is paying for something it is always great fully received. They don't always admit to my having made things for them but that is okay because I don't always admit to my makes either. I don't think there is quite the stigma these days with handmade items and if an item is beautifully made such as Cassie's dress , the quality is usually better than rtw anyway. The dress looks lovely on Cassie and the colour really suits her.
*swoon* this silhouette is PERFECT.
It's lovely. The colour is beautiful and the fabric looks like a dream to work with. I think she's a beautiful girl (woman?) and the dress highlights that 🙂
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't want to force the products of their sewing addiction on their family. I really do try to stick to things I know are really wanted and will be appreciated. Sewing is too precious to me to create negative energy by pushing it onto others.
The design really lets that lovely flowy fabric speak out. I looks so pretty on her!
The design really lets that lovely flowy fabric speak out. I looks so pretty on her!
Thanks for your reply Carolyn, that's really useful and I've admired that lace skirt for some time!
How beautiful. The colour and the style are both so lovely on Cassie.
I get so much pleasure from making things for my daughters, but I am not sufficiently unselfish to wonder whether they are being over persuaded to ask me to make them. I might try forgetting that I read that idea 😉 sewing is a fairly harmless maternal pastime, after all.
I like the style, fabric choice and colour of this dress so much. I wish there's a pattern for it so I can make one for myself!!