Nice design and straightforward construction

A lovely-looking dress and really easy to wear for summer, and possibly beyond.

I’d never made an Assembly Line pattern, so this was all new to me.  Although the pattern is marked as an ‘easy’ make, it made a toile and was glad I did.  I’d never made a neckline using this technique, so a run-through was helpful. It was clear that careful marking up and cutting out would be crucial to getting the neckline to lie nicely – I’d think for newbie sewists it could be a bit challenging, so just be careful! It was a very straightforward make, thanks in part to the toile.

The sleeveless version will be good for the summer, and I think that it will be something I wear over the spring and autumn seasons with a t-shirt underneath.

Fabric is mid-weight 100% cotton from Stone Fabrics and very stable, so easy to get the precision cutting and sewing for that neckline.  It’s perhaps less drapey than I had expected (I did get a sample) even after washing, but I suspect it will soften further in time. I love the pattern and it’s small enough not to need pattern matching.

Things I did differently

* The seam allowance is only 1cm, so I didn’t do all the pre-stitching overlocking suggested in the instructions: I thought it would be too easy to slice off random amonts of seam allowance!  The fabric is forgiving in this regard, so other makes may need a proper edge finish.

* I added half-ties (2 x 50cm) at the waistline.  The dress is quite full and having the option to pull in the back (or indeed, front) is good for my shape.  I’m quite petite, so it’s easy to look overwhelmed in fabric.  The ties can also tuck into the pockets (yes, it has lovely pockets too!) when not in use.

* Overall fit was good. Following the body measurements on the pattern I cut a M at the top, tapering to S at the hip.  In retrospect, I could have possibly gone a little smaller with this firm-ish fabric.

I’ll definitely be making this one again – perhaps shorter as a tunic top with sleeves and bringing the side-seams in for a slightly narrower fit. I may also play around with a different fabric for the neck facing, which might be fun.