I used Burda 09/2014-115, a tunic/hoodie pattern; and this lovely deep, deep, burnt chocolate linen, that I bought from Tessuti's in Melbourne on our previous, 2013 trip there... extra woops! Sometimes I hoard lovely fabrics for forever and feel guilty about it, but really it's only because I can't think of the Perfect Project which it would like to become. Some fabrics tell you straight away, whilst others sit there and taunt you with their loveliness while never giving any hint of what they want to be.
To be honest, this is version two.
The pattern is actually for a tunic a good 6" longer than this, and that is how I made it. I had visions of those lovely chic European lagenlook-y ladies wearing long and loose flowing clothes in earthy neutral shades. I started out with high hopes, made the hoodie/tunic. Felt really good about it, all went together smoothly, happy with my decision, almost finished it; perfectly hand narrow-hemmed shirt-hem and all. It was easily long enough to be a dress.
Tried it on, and was immediately struck by the fact that I had made myself a Friar Tuck robe. Yes, in its long version I looked exactly like Friar Tuck. Do I want to look like Friar Tuck? Emphatically, no. Disastrous. Dejectedly shoved it aside for, um; a few months. Hmmm, how time flies!
Anyway, I really did want it to work, and so just recently I drastically shortened that hem and rolled the sleeves up. Massive improvement. I left off the waist tie channel and tie. I reckon that as a boxy, shorter tunic, with rolled up sleeves, it still had that relaxed, fairly oversized, comfy vibe that I was after... stylishly chic, I hope!
The dress has pockets and so I kept those, cutting and re-hemming it to just below that level. The button placket is invisibly sewn closed, because all buttons just seemed either the wrong size or colour, or just plain wrong against the fabric.
Details:
Hoodie; Burdastyle 09/2014, 115 shortened, of burnt chocolate-brown crinkly linen
Shorts; Burda 7723, grey/cream pinstripe linen, details here and my review of this pattern here
