Hawaiian sunrise Hazel

We were pretty lax in our vacation planning--we were more or less spontaneous in the things we did once we were on Oahu.  However, I did look up fabric stores on the island before we went and was pleased that a trip to buy some fabric could be coordinated with another activity on the Honolulu/Waikiki side of the island.  With husband and kids in tow, I couldn't spend heaps of time in the store, so I grabbed a bunch of fabric and headed to the cutting table.  This gradient-dyed fabric was right there near the check-out line and when the person in front of me bought a length of it, I couldn't resist either and bought 3 yards.

I had researched Colette's Hazel dress for a different and unrealized project, but it was the clear choice for this lovely fabric.  The pattern has cutting instructions for border prints, so it worked out perfectly.  I went with a size 0, grading to 4 at the waist.  It would be more comfy in a slightly larger size, so next time I'll go with a 2.

The fabric is truly a gorgeous color, but is an unfortunate cotton/ polyester blend.  At $3.99/yard, I didn't really care!  You can get it right here (5 yard minimum, unfortunately), with a few other colorways (blue and orange).  The fabric is fairly thin, so a strapless bra is necessary (wahh!).

I love how fitted the bodice is, but the dirndl skirt is not my favorite.  It's not the pattern's fault--I just don't love gathered waistlines on me (which is funny, since one of my near-future projects is a gathered-waist skirt....)

By the time I got to the hem, I didn't want to lose any of the purple at the bottom--it definitely needs it for visual balance.  So, I didn't hem it!  Since the bottom hem was cut along the selvage edge, I kept the slightly frayed-looking edge intact.  It's not ideal, but I think it looks fine.

I have to say, I'm not feeling very excited or inspired by my other Hawaiian fabrics, so they'll have to wait for a while.  I sent two lengths of rayon to my mom--hopefully she makes something fabulous out of them!

Can't wait to wear this to the next summer picnic!

Vintage-inspired linen sundress

If you're arriving here from Britex, welcome!

A couple of weeks ago, my family took a trip to Hawaii, which nicely coincided (with a slight extension of deadlines--thank you, Joie :) with my latest Britex project.  A lovely linen sundress was the obvious choice; after all, doesn't everyone sew new garments before going on vacation?!

The linen I chose for this project is fairly lightweight, though slightly more opaque than you'd expect, and therefore not requiring a lining in the skirt. Linens are always a bit shifty while cutting and sewing, so I had to take care not to distort the fabric.  Overall, I found the fabric very easy to sew and it was the perfect choice for this style.

For this dress, you really can't wear a bra, so for the bodice lining, I skipped my usual first choice for linings (Bemberg rayon) and went with a silk/ cotton lawn to keep it from feeling sticky in the humidity of summer.  

For the pattern, I selected the vintage-inspired Siren Sundress by Decades of Style.  The dress has a faux-wrap front bodice, with secured wrap skirt in the back.  However, the highlight of the design is the cross-wrapping straps that wrap around the waist to tie in the back.  Lots of wrapping going on in this dress!  While it takes a while to get it on (with the aid of a mirror or significant other to keep the straps flat), once "assembled", it is comfortable and secure.  

The wrap around the waist is really flattering!  And the back is so pretty and unusual!

Even though it seems as though you can wrap and adjust straps to make it fit, I would highly recommend making a muslin first.  The waist wrap is fixed, and the seam at the shoulders should sit on your shoulder line, so after making a muslin it was clear I had to make some significant petite adjustments to the pattern. First, I trimmed the hem by about 6". Second, I had to shorten the bodice so the waist seam would sit at my natural waistline.   Tomorrow I'll post a quick tutorial for shortening a wrap-style top (or head over to Britex).

Aside from my pattern adjustments, the sundress was a pretty quick sew.  I can envision it in a number of lightweight fabrics, such as a linen stripe or print, or a fairly opaque cotton lawn.  Very fun for a summer barbecue, or with the right fabric, an evening cocktail party in the depths of summer!

Mahalo to Britex for providing the fabulous linen fabric and our amazing hosts in Haleiwa** for allowing me to take photos in their yard!  

** By the way, if you are looking for the best rental in all of Oahu (in our humble opinion) you can do no better than this cottage on the North Shore.  Just my plug for a great place; I wasn't asked to saying something nice :)