How cute is this multicoloured “oxen” print? I saw it on Spoonflower and immediately fell in love. I bought a little of the cotton sateen last year. Or maybe even the year before? Yes, it has indeed been in the stash for a while; and my pledge to use up the stash is still a work in progress!
I used it to make up this unusual pattern; the FibreMood Jill dress. I know it looks like a fairly featureless dress pattern from the front but from the back the more unique qualities become apparent… mainly a triangular “window” underneath a long opening. This looks cute but in reality is a bit of a bra-revealer, even though there is a joining bar that is probably intended to be at bra level. I’ve taken to wearing it over a simple little camisole to eliminate the risk.
The skirt “looks” gathered, but is actually not; in fact there is a casing at the top of the skirt, through which you thread a length of elastic. At each end of the elastic you attach a skinny tie, which comes out at centre back.
I enjoyed finishing the raw edges inside with pale pink muslin binding; this has been in my stash for YONKS. An appropriately kindergarten-esque finishing touch is a garish apple-green button. There’s actually not a skerrick of green anywhere in the print, but it has the same saturation level as the other colours so fits in quite well, I think.
Now, I have worn this dress a couple of times, including once in the Maldives even though it’s not in the “floordrobe” shot, whoops! but actually the reason it got forgotten because it was by that time awaiting alterations in the rehabilitation ward already. Yes, it had a few little problems which I knew had to be fixed asap if I wanted to wear it again.
A major problem was a strangling-ly high neckline. I unpicked the white-on-white under stitching around the front part of the neckline and restitched a new scoop… taking out a good 4cm in the process. Re-understitched the facing and bammo! the difference is subtle and no one would notice but the comfort level for me is stratospherically improved!
But most importantly it was a tad too short for summer wear. Not scandalously so, but just a bit. I’d worn it a smattering of times in winter with tights and boots… voila below; for which the length was fine.
Compounding the problem, it was a little shortwaisted on me too. Resulting in an almost babydoll look, which is not good on me at all. So I cut a 20cm extension from the leftovers and stitched this underneath the skirt, at the hem stitching level. This results in a two layered skirt look which fortunately I happen to like. And the proportions of bodice and skirt are hugely improved, imo! Begone, the babydoll look!
I’m gong to enjoy wearing this cute dress in summer! And if I want the shorter length back for next winter it’s a quick and easy unpick to get the lower level back off again too. And then maybe I can add it back on again the following summer? Yes, hmmm maybe that sounds a little odd, but why not? Updating the hemline to suit the season sounds like quite a good way of enhancing the wearability of my wardrobe, so maybe I should embrace this concept more often!
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