Hello! I’m back, and with a BIG project that has been on my mind for quite some time now… a new pattern! Please welcome the newest pattern to gallop out from the Carolyn & Cassie Pattern Co stable, the Karijini dress!
This is possibly our most ambitious design to date; being a complex arrangement of diagonal and asymmetric lines, pin tucks, folds and overlays, and hemline that dips low at the back and shows off your legs at the front… We absolutely love it; its unique style, structural lines, its comfortable fit combined with a (we think) quite elegant silhouette … and we hope that you do too! It is quite an advanced sew, but one that we think is well worth the effort.
Quick description; the Karijini is a comfortable summer dress with very interesting style lines… Technical description; the Karijini is a loose-fitting sleeveless asymmetric dress; with partial overlays both front and back. Features include generous inseam side pockets and asymmetric pin tucked hemlines across front and back. Skirt hits above knee at the front and tapers off to calf length at the back The dress has no closure but is designed to be slipped on over the head.
Some more important technical info;
I know, I know; the descriptions always sound so flat, but I promise this is not a flat design at all! I first made and profiled this design this design back in 2018 and, in the process of fine-tuning the construction procedure and writing the instructions I have made many for myself and more than a few for others too! The final pattern – well, my size anyway, of course not counting the grading – is practically identical to the first iteration, because I really was completely happy with that one straight off the bat. The only changes were to improve the construction and finishing techniques a little bit.
The name? well the Karijini National Park is in upper/middle Western Australia; and has always been one of our favourite places in WA. The gorges are absolutely beautiful, with waterfalls, rocky stratifications and layers at all angles .. all of which went towards inspiring the style lines of our new design.
following photo from the website;
the Travel Guide to Karijini National Park, WA – Tourism Australia
To showcase the design on a group of different ages and sizes, we have once again roped family members into modelng for us … I’m not kidding when I say this is one of our favourite aspects of doing the patterns! For our previous pattern, the Meelup skirt, we asked our niece/cousin Tiffany to model for us, this time it was her sister Jacinta who honoured us with her modelling skills.
My lovely mother/Cassie’s grandmother; was our other model, and both our photo sessions were such fun family events!
Jacinta’s dress was made in a softly “antique-y” blue floral from Spotlight, and Mum’s was made in a dark chocolate linen/cotton from the Morrison clothing fabric sale from a few years back. I love how the structural lines of the design are showcased in the solid, dark coloured fabric; as well as how soft and pretty it appears in the floral.
Cassie also made one for herself in two contrasting fabrics; a large scale blue check and plain white cottons… doesn’t this look so cool?!
As a reminder, here are some of my previously made versions of the Karijini;
the original, ochre linen version…
this green sparkle version…
this striped version… I have received many compliments for this one over the years!
this large scale check version… I have since dyed this version dark blue, and it looks quite different! At some stage I will take a photo and upload it here to show…
To celebrate the release of our newest pattern, we are currently offering 20% off the price for one week only, until Sunday 24th March… this apples to all our patterns in our Etsy shop here. Discount applies automatically at checkout, no code is needed. We hope you enjoy the sale, and our new Karijini pattern!
Hello! I’m back with a few new things…
hello! Once again I am presenting an odd assortment of disparate things made recently…
Love this cute and yet chic little pattern! I know it’s mine and I shouldn’t be too self-congratulatory, but I really really love it so I just have to gush occasionally. I’ll stop now.
Items 3, 4 and 5, or should I just call this item 3? I’m never quite sure…
Mum wove this length of beautiful lilac/blue fabric with her own two hands many years ago, and had partially made a dress or tunic or something out of it.
my new summer nightie! So I really really love this and it feels so lovely to wear! I used a short length of silk from Le Stash, originally from (I think) Tessuti fabrics of Melbourne, from years ago. With some clever pattern placement I managed to cut a Closet Core Simone slip. I French seamed the side seams, and was very careful to match stripes all around. It feels incredibly luxe! Why have I never made silk sleepwear before?!
Hello!
The sleeve pieces are absolutely massive and the result is lovely in my opinion! a very pretty, half pirate-y, half mediaeval sort of effect!
Hello! I’ve finished making a few new things, both from deep deep stash. I can’t stress enough how happy it makes me feel to be methodically using up ye olde stash! I feel so virtuous. Particularly since such a lot of it was not even bought by me in the first place, but foisted upon me – and I must say here that I truly do appreciate everything that has been given to me, many many pieces have proved to be very lovely and beautiful quality, and very useful too when it comes to testing patterns and new designs! It is also true though that I am at a stage in my life when I want to whittle it down, for good. I have dreams of a more minimalist future, and I’m determined to see it through.
The fabric is a quite nice, soft-pumpkin silk crepe, very lightweight and floaty, almost translucent. I’m definitely going to be wearing this with a slip, I think.
Item 2! a little knitted jacket and beanie set for Cassie’s new baby… the last time I went down to stay with my parents I bought this little pattern pamphlet from a yarn and quilting shop in Bridgetown; Naturally Yarns K679. I wanted to get something for the baby, and also to support a local business, but honestly felt very conflicted about buying a finished something when I SHOULD be using up my own supplies…. anyway I did achieve kind of both.
Finally, item 3; and this is sadly not from my own stash, but from Cassie’s. I volunteered to make up one of the fabrics she had bought for her summer/autumn breast-feeding friendly wardrobe. What else to make but one of our own Yallingup designs?! We both believe in this design so thoroughly and it’s a little sad that it has not been as popular as we were hoping. I wonder if it’s not clear that the regular, and the breast-feeding friendly version are actually separate designs, even though they look the same from the outside?
