Hello sew-friends! Today, I'm excited to share a brand new make! I shared in my latest sewing vlog on YouTube that due to migraines and freelance work, I have not been sewing very much this year. I'm very excited that I'm starting to feel in the swing of things again and this dress really helped me jumpstart my practice. I even have a second dress already half-way sewn!
This dress is the Parasol Dress by Cris Wood. I saw the pattern on Instagram the week it launched and bought it pretty much immediately. I really love that Cris's patterns are designed with a no-size, no-pattern style. Much like my Draft-It-Yourself Tasi Robe and Jacket pattern, she provides formulas for the pattern pieces and you input your measurements to draft the rectangle shapes needed for the dress.
This pattern comes with two views, a top and a dress. I made the dress but added the sleeves from the top. I also added in-seam pockets and used French seams for finishing. French seams can get a little tricky when sewing a right angle at the underarm, so I used the technique I developed for the Tasi pattern to sew my dress. I used a 1/2" total seam allowance and started by sewing on the sleeves. Then sewed the underarm/side seams. You can get all the details on how to sew that here. My technique and seam allowance does reduce the finished circumference a little bit but it's such an oversized fit that it's not too noticeable.
To sew the in-seam pockets with French seams, I used this tutorial from In The Folds. They came together beautifully but they are MUCH too low on the dress. Whoops! I really overestimated how far down the skirt the pockets needed to be placed. They should probably be 5-6" higher. I didn't account for how the sides of the skirt drop down lower the front of the skirt when worn. I'm still debating what to do about the pockets. I could just leave them, move them or remove them altogether.
This pattern is oversized, which I love but I was nervous about the gathers and the way the gathered waist sits just under and even over the bust. I have a large bust and often don't like the way that ruffles and gathers look on me. I feel like I'm wearing a maternity dress or like I'm an overgrown child. As an example, here's a dress that looks great on other people but I did not like the style on me at all.
So, I was a little wary about this design but I saw some examples on Instagram that I thought looked great and convinced me to try it. It was hard for me to tell how the dress was going to fit until after I had attached the skirt. I tried on the bodice early on and it didn't look great. So I was really pleased with how much better it looked once I got the skirt attached. Now, it's the perfect floaty caftan of my dreams.
A couple notes on sizing. My measurements are bust: 38.5", under bust 31", hips 39.5". I'm 5'11" and wear a 36D in ready to wear bras. I drafted the pattern as recommended and added the suggested 1.5" to the length of the bodice panel to lower the waistline. I also stitched the center back seam a little longer (about 4") to provide more bra coverage. If I make the dress again, I'd stitch that seam even longer probably 6-7". (You can see in the photo above, that my bra band is visible and the tie is pretty tight, so I can’t really shift it higher.) I'd also like to try more volume in the sleeves by making them longer and gathering them to fit.
The fabric I used is a deep stash fabric. It's a silk print fabric that I bought from The Fabric Store probably 5-6 years ago. I love the bold print and rainbow of colors. It's both dramatic and a little artistic with the brush stroke design. I've been saving this fabric because it's so special. At the time that I bought it, I was really into the Tania Culottes pattern (blogged here and here) and was imagining that I'd use the fabric for that pattern. But I've been wearing those culottes less often and just never got around to making it again.
I think this pattern was the perfect way to use the fabric and I'm so glad that I did. The silk feels so luxurious against the skin. I'm also really glad that I went with French seams. They take longer to sew but are great for fabrics like silk. To learn how to sew French seams, check out my tutorial here.
This dress is the first make from my Summer Capsule Wardrobe. Next, I'll probably sew some tank tops and I already have another summer dress in the works. It feels really good to be back in the practice of sewing. I'm even feeling the itch to start (or rather re-start) another quilt. I hope you are all doing well. Happy sewing!
