This wasn’t actually supposed to be a real dress. I was playing about. I have to confess to a few struggles with my fabric… that had a mind of its own and a recalcitrant disposition. If fabrics can be anthropomorphised; this fabric would be a will o’ the wisp, absent-minded girl with a head full of poems and fairy tales and dreams, given to wandering barefoot on sunkissed white beaches and forgetting that her library books were due back.But it has been coaxed into a coolly flitter-y flutter-y dress, which I think it wanted to be all along in its heart of hearts.
This is the Loose Flare Drape Dress; pattern no.11 from the Japanese pattern book Drape Drape by Hisako Sato.
The fabric is a very lightweight, very soft, pale grey marle jersey knit, part of a massive quantity I bought from the Morrison remnants sale. A fabric I picked up because I liked the soft cloudy-grey colour and the slightly fuzzy texture, but was actually extraordinarily flimsy and difficult to work with. It clings and flutters and slips all at the same time, it is very drape-y and almost sheer. It likes to curl up tightly on itself, and the sketchy “stripe” in the fabric is whimsically slanted at a slight diagonal.
But happily ever after et cetera; the thin floatiness of the fabric is a near perfect match for this pattern… I’m thinking of rustling up a halter-neck bra to wear with it, but in the meantime it’s being stoushed in the beach-bag to do duty as a cover up.
It may even stay there if I don’t get around to the halter bra, since it is just the right shape and style to go over my bathers. And it is so ethereally summery; a flattering and exceptionally easy-to-wear dress, edgily short and cute-ly flippy.
The dress is an A-line halter neck dress with a wide and swing-y skirt; and a full length, full skirted lining for which I used the same fabric. The loose flare piece referred to in its title is a separate piece attached in with the halter neck at the left side and sewn into the armhole, to flow free and loose across the front of the dress.
This piece is what makes the whole dress, of course. The extra piece is a very simple idea, and it swishes and flutters so prettily against the dress.
The only adjustment I made to the pattern was to leave off the zip and just to sew up the side seam. Well, it’s stretch fabric. I’m currently of the opinion that zips in a stretch garment are a complete waste of money, time and effort.
Naturally I reserve the right to change that opinion any time it suits me.
The fabric isn’t the only one here subject to whimsy.
Details:
Dress; the loose flare drape dress, pattern no.11 from Drape Drape by Hisako Sato, made of lightweight grey marle jersey knit
