Three Dresses.

4:44 pm


I rarely buy sewing patterns these days, unless they are vintage finds. I prefer to draft my own designs. Last week though I aquired two new sewing patterns for me! I was smitten by Marilla Walker's Bennett Dress as soon as I saw it, and knowing Marilla's style, plus the need to stitch up something lovely in a hurry I thought I'd give it a go. I wasn't dissapointed, in fact I was really pleased with the result, and wore the resulting dress twice in one week!
I used a lightweight poly cotton blend I'd bought in Abakhan.
As always Marilla's pattern and instructions were faultless. I chose the printed pattern this time, and I love the cute hand printed envelope it came in . Trust me, packaging is hard to figure out when you are a small independant designer with an equally if not smaller budget for such things, and I'm quite envious that I didn't think of doing something as cute with my paper patterns! (Which are still on pause...best not talk about that right now! )

The second pattern I bought was the Dottie Angel Frock by Simplicity. I've always admired Dottie Angel's blog and her granny chic style, but honestly until I saw the pattern in my local Hobbycraft while buying other supplies, I hadn't had a burning desire to order it online and make it. You could say it was an impulse buy.

A photo posted by Jeanette Archer (@lazyseamstress) on



I ran one up quickly to see what I would think. I used a vintage sheet and random bits of bias hanging around in my shed. Once finished, I was pretty pleased with the dress, on the hanger at least...but oh dear, trying it on was a whole other matter! The tucks and ties were in the wrong place for my bust, and I just hated it on me. I'm still a bit sick about it really, it's super cute, just not on me, so I'm sending it to someone else who it will no doubt look so much better on...and hoping she doesn't look too closely at my hasty stitching!
Not to be defeated however, I set to making myself another. This time I used some left over lightweight cotton blend left over from a project I'd completed a few weeks ago for Sewing Made Simple magazine.
I intended to put the tucks and ties in at the end once I could work out where I wanted them to be, but while trying it on to determine that, I decided actually I liked it without.


So, there you are, three dresses in a week, when really I should have been working on my final collection for college....oops!

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5 comments

  1. These are lovely , I like your version of the Dottie angel frock x

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  2. I love both Marilla and Dottie Angel's designs and I actually have both dress patterns. I am coveting Marilla's Mercury Collection for my fall/winter wardrobe.

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  3. Anonymous6:55 pm

    These dresses are super cute! I am a Marilla fan, having made several of her patterns, and will make her Mercury trousers soon.

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  4. Thanks for sharing. Will follow you on Instagram :-). I will be giving at least one if the dresses a whirl in the forthcoming weeks X

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