A great basic dress pattern

I nearly didn’t toile this due to its boxy shape, but as the last TATB pattern I’d made (Romy top/dress) didn’t fit me at ALL, I decided to err on the side of caution, which was a good call. Head to my blog post to see my before/after alterations photos.

I made the following alterations for fit and personal preference:

• 2cm narrow shoulder adjustment
• Lengthened the bodice by 2cm
• Added waist ties into the side seams
• Shortened the skirt slightly to account for the longer bodice – next time I would shorten it more as it’s a slightly awkward length
• I top-stitched the facing down because the weight of the gathered skirt + the lack of weight-bearing/fitting at the waist means that it flips out constantly

This is often labelled a “quick make” but it didn’t feel particularly speedy after two toiles and various adjustments! I went for the simplest version of the pattern: bracelet sleeves rather than ruffled and no exposed ruffle on the waistline. I think this version would be a great project for a beginner, particularly in a stable fabric like cotton lawn.

It’s a great every day dress, and I like the suggestion to interface the pocket openings on delicate fabrics, which I’ve not come across before. It also has heaps of hacking potential, although it’s a shame that TATB now want you to pay for hacking suggestions, rather than having these freely available on their blog, as they did previously.

The Dashwood Studio rayon is gorgeous, but was a bit of a nightmare. It frayed a lot and snagged very easily. Luckily, mostly on the black sections so I was able to colour it in! I was pre-warned that it suffered in the wash so I’ve always washed this in a garment bag and it’s been ok. However, it’s still faded a lot.