Lacey dress from style arc

I have a secret hobby. I like to go 'window shopping' for patterns and fabric. Style Arc is currently one of my favourite sites to visit. They have so many patterns that I love. A few times my 'window shopping' resulted in a purchase. I recently posted about my versions of Style Arc's Courtney top. Today I would like to introduce you to another fab pattern - the Lacey dress.

This pattern is described as an easy slip-on dress with an extended shoulder, square line bodice and slightly gathered skirt. I must admit that I was a little unsure about the shape of the bodice from the description. However curiosity got the best of me and I bought the pattern. I am so glad I did!

After making a muslin I decided to go for a straight size 6. I love the fit of this dress. It is relaxed and oh so comfortable! It is perfect for hot summer days. The dress is also easy to sew. There are no closures, no lining, no darts. The neckline is finished with a facing. Princess seams on the bodice provide lovely shaping and practically invite to do colour blocking or play with the direction of the print.

My dress had pockets but they had to be surgically removed at the eleventh hour. You see, I decided I wanted bigger pockets than those included in the pattern. My pockets need to house car keys, Toby, James, Thomas and a couple of smaller toys on a regular basis. I used the pocket pieces from another pattern, however the other pattern had an A-line skirt and the direction of the straight grain on the pocket pieces was in accordance with that. Of course I cut out my dress late at night and of course I didn't think about the straight grain direction on the alien pocket pieces until the dress was finished. My poor pockets cut to go with an A-line skirt flapped out in a very unflattering way on my rectangle skirt. It took me a while to work out what had gone wrong. When I realised my silly mistake I could only laugh! Redoing pockets very late at night seemed like a mammoth task so I decided to simply cut them out.

I made my dress in striped linen/rayon blend from The Fabric Store. This fabric was on sale for $10/m. I have never worked with linen/rayon blend before and I had no idea what to expect from this fabric, but figured that I was not losing much if I didn't like it and bought some. Guys, this fabric is divine! It feels like linen, and it wrinkles like linen also, yet it has wonderful drape and is oh so soft. It is a little shiftier when cutting compared to ordinary linen, but hey, rayon is a little tricky like that. I am now on a hunt for more linen/rayon fabric!

I love this pattern so much I just bought knit fabric for a winter version of this dress! Oh yes, it can be made in woven or knit fabrics, how wonderful is that! But while it is still hot I will do a little more 'window shopping' on Style Arc. I will show you the result, I promise ;)