Well, now that I’ve gotten brown out of my system for awhile, I’ve moved onto green. I apologise in advance that my iPad’s camera has big trouble rendering this colour correctly! It shimmers back and forth between brown, grey and a really washed out green none of which are close. Trust me that these are all a matching and evenly dyed dark olive drab.
First up, this is the Peppermint Magazine’s Button-Up Dress, a free pattern designed by Emily Hundt of In The Folds. It features armhole princess seams and a relaxed easy fit.
The fabric was lurking about in my stash for a number of years, purchased on one of my trips through Portland, OR, at the Mill-End Store. It’s a lovely designer cotton sateen in a heavier weight that of course creases like the dickens. The buttons are from Dressew and are quite dreamy, like looking into a pool.
Since there’s 10 of them quite close together down the front of this dress, I thought it was worthwhile having buttons that actually show up! The changes I made to the pattern for fit were nearly but not quite right. I need a little more bra strap coverage on the back armhole and it gaps a little back there. Also the all-in-one facings needed some remedial work to lie correctly. I probably need to redraft them if I make this pattern again. The dress is quite short, above the knee even on my 5’3″ self, so taller folk might want to lengthen it. There’s only a tiny 5/8″ hem!
So because the dress felt a little too open on the armholes, I managed to find some nylon/Lycra fabric in the exact same colour in Dressew’s bargain basement. Yay! Out of 2 metres I squeezed a cap-sleeved tee, a pair of “skimmies” (aka undershorts) and a pair of Helen’s Closet Avery Leggings. I’m always needing layering pieces and these are perfect.
The first two pieces are really quick to sew and have been adapted and changed enough from the original tee and shorts/leggings patterns that I consider them my own now. The Averys are quite a lot more work to make, with the doubled yoke, crotch gusset and elastic sewn in between the layers.
I prefer the high waist but the shorter legs. This pair has legs that are even shorter than the pattern by about 2-1/2″ because I was squeezing them in to a tight amount of fabric! However, they’re still long enough on my short legs coming just above my ankle bone.
I skimmed another wee slice out of the cuffs though because they were still a little looser than I like for my skinny ankles. It’s quite a lot cooler here today so I’m glad to be wearing them and with socks too! The high waist and doubled yoke design acts like a more comfortable version of shapewear on me, keeping the beluga blubber a little more under control than usual. Heh. Totally worth the extra effort to make them.
So now I’m busy cutting out the next pile of green sewing! This lot is a slightly lighter olive green soft cotton/lycra french terry, also from Dressew’s bargain basement. It’s a colour I have a lot of in my wardrobe and I don’t really tire of seeing it. This fabric was obviously hiding in the bargains because it’s quite off-grain even after washing and machine drying. No amount of tugging would straighten it out so I’m ignoring that issue and have 3 items all cut out and ready to sew. More green to show you soon! I’m on a roll here.
Damselfly's Delights 