Oh My! Myosotis Dress

Not usually a shape I would go for, but so glad I made this dress. I have had this fabric for sometime and have seen it on several online shops. It’s a Lady McElroy, quite weighty and lends itself well to the look I was hoping for. I was inspired by Karen who has the blog Did You Make That. She has made a few, and suggested drapey fabric. Others I have seen made from cotton have a more structured puffed out appearance. I wanted a more relaxed boho. vibe. It think it will be a great cross seasonal piece as it looks good with tights and bare legs.

I really enjoyed the construction. It’s been a while since I made a woven dress and this was much easier and quicker than I anticipated. I made view A with all the ruffles!
I did lengthen the sleeves a few inches and unnecessary did a broad back adjustment. To be honest, I probably could have gone down a size, but I’m happy enough with the over all fit. I went with a longer length, but will be happy to try another shorter version. My button holes were a nightmare! I later discovered a piece of fluff in my bobbin compartment that I think was causing all sorts of tension issues. Also may have added to my buttonhole problems. It’s always something very simple when there is a tension problem, but always takes an age to find!

All those ruffles were not a chore though. I discovered a fab method for gathering the fabric that doesn’t involve pulling threads and spreading the gathers evenly. It came to me when using shirring elastic to repair a dress that I had bought in a charity shop last summer. I have a tutorial to share over on my blog. It’s so simple and produces such great results. https://makingprettypatterns.wordpress.com/2019/04/01/shirring-elastic-gathering-tutorial/