Patricia Rose dress

I am a risk taker! Who would have thought! Well, it is not that I don't take risks in life. I did move to the other side of the globe for example. However when it comes to the things I make for myself, I don't seem to explore too many different styles and cuts. Well, not with my last project!

The Patricia Rose dress pattern from Style Arc has such wonderful details! The horizontal tuck on the bodice, the inverted pleat on the front of the skirt, the V-neck, the pockets... What's the risk you ask? Due to the loose fit there was a potential of this dress looking like a sack on my frame.

I knew the risk was big, but I just couldn't help myself. My hands were practically itching to make this dress! So when a few weeks ago Style Arc offered a number of their PDF patterns at half price and this dress was included, I bought it straight away.

Sewing this dress wasn't too challenging. The instructions are brief, but clear. I decided to skip making a muslin since I already made a few Style Arc patterns. I new what size to make and didn't expect that a loose fit dress would require many adjustments, but I think I should have invested a little time into making a muslin. Ideally I would have liked my dress to be a little longer. Just a couple of cm would have made me feel a little more 'covered' on windy days.

Something else happened as a result of sewing this dress... See how the caps of my sleeves look rather untidy? A rolled up towel is only good to a certain point before one comes to a realisation they need to invest into a tailor's ham. The difference proper tools make is simply amazing! I have already made my husband take photos of this dress twice, I did not want to push my luck asking for a third photoshoot now my sleeves looked decent. I would have given the dress a press before a repeat photo-shoot but my husband was in a hurry and I decided to just do it, as one well known company suggests.

I thought that a solid colour would highlight the details of the pattern best. I used gorgeous linen in mustard from The Fabric Store. I have a little of this fabric left so I might shamelessly copy Anna!

I am so glad I took the risk and made this dress. I think I need to wear it out and about a few times to make the final decision if this shape is 'my thing'. For now I feel very comfortable in this dress. I am even considering making another one, in a warmer fabric for when it gets colder!