Sashiko Birds Dress

My beloved Navy Spot Sundress is now, officially, replaced. Sadly faded beyond wearability, it had to go, so I made a new dress from the same pattern, New Look 6968. Now a TNT pattern for me, I have made it up three times.

The fabric is more fun, albiet less sophisticated, than its predecessor, and I love it deeply. It is Sashiko Birds by Gennine for Cloud 9. I got the quilting cotton, even though the collection also includes voiles, which The Village Haberdashery were stocking too. I wanted the heavier weight for the more tailored pattern. I bought 2 meters the day after I saw it on Annie's blog. I just had to have it, she hadn't even had time to put the bolts on the shelves - they were still on the community table when I rushed into the store.

I decided to skip lining the bodice and drafted new facings instead. Even though I had enough fabric to cut these from the fabric, I decided to hoard it and cut them from a deceased business shirt. The shirt was quite a bit thicker and stiffer than the cotton, so I didn't need to interface.

I've made quite a few fitting edits to the pattern, which now include: shortening the waist by about 1.5cm, a sway back adjustment, shaving width off the hip curve at the side seams and less depth on the bust darts. I made two small pleats in the skirt, instead of the skirt darts. I still need to take up the shoulders by about 1cm so I have gone back to the pattern pieces and cut .5cm from the top of each shoulder, ready for next time. On wearing the dress, I've discovered that the armscye is rubbing against the front of my arms. I need to take out about 0.5cm from the front edge of the armscye. I'm not going to re-do this dress because I don't want to take out the zip. But it will be much more comfortable to wear had I known this.

I kept to my new philosophy of simple seam finishes and just zig zagged all of them. I can't believe how ok with that I am! I promise it is not laziness - I'd be the first to admit that - but the simple fact of wanting finishes that add no bulk to the seams and don't make them pull or pucker. You can't beat pressing flat and zig zagging. I remember when I was sewing as a teen, I really, really, really wanted an overlocker. I wanted to avoid having my garments look home made, and an overlocked seam was the ultimate in RTW. Now, I am totally cured of that desire, I really don't need the extra hassle to get a finish like that. How's that for moving on and new-found maturity?!

After I had my fabric and decided on the pattern, I saw this dress in the window of a popular store. How on-trend am I?

Costs
Fabric: 2m, The Village Haberdashery, £28.00
Pattern: used previously, £0.00
Facing Fabric: reclaimed, £0.00
Thread: local art store, £0.50
Zip: Mood, £0.60
Total: £29.10