Another Lola (this one is even better!)

Yes, the day after I made the first Lola, I went ahead and made a second.  I had some "spare" fabric lying around and couldn't resist!

The first version was a bit big at the waistline and middle back, so I altered the pattern to take in all of the princess seams above and below the waistline by about 1/4", tapering out to the original line about 3" below the waistline.  I also lowered the armscye by about 1/2".  The new fit feels and looks better, and I can still wiggle into it without any closures!  Oh, I also shortened the length of the dress by about 1", and then increased the width of the ribbing just for fun.

So this fabric!  It's quilted knit, (my color is no longer available, but this is the same fabric) with a bit of batting in between the two layers.  It's amazingly soft and warm, and really, it just feels like I'm wearing a comfy sleeping bag.  Admittedly, it kind of looks like I'm wearing a sleeping bag, but I'm kind of okay with that!

I am constantly cold, and it's just so cozy!  I could seriously live and sleep in this garment.

The quilting is so lovely!

The topstitching for each seam is really apparent on this fabric, and I think it adds a really beautiful detail.

This new version took a total of 1.5 hours to sew, so it's a quick and easy way to make an outfit, but I think a third version of this same style might be a little over-kill.  That being said, I'm not promising a version 3.0 won't happen :)

The Lola dress

Starting in January, I am going to be a full-time student to finish up my AS in Apparel Production! It's been a few years in the making since I've taken only 1 or 2 classes a semester while working part-time, but I'll be taking a leave from teaching to finally get it done.  So, instead of wearing my "normal" skirts and heels for work, I have to start dressing like a student!  Sweatshirts and leggings are what my college students wear, so this is my late-30 year old answer to that.

The pattern is the Lola dress, by Victory Patterns.  I've been looking at this dress pattern for a while, and when I ended up with a couple of lengths of sweatshirt-type material, I realized it would be perfect.  The pattern has some amazing style lines and giant pockets (I can fit a box of spaghetti in there, as I discovered at dinner tonight!).

The construction was super quick, even though each seam is topstitched.  This one took the same amount of time it took the rest of my family to watch Star Wars Episode 3 :)

I did make some changes after the fact (which involved unpicking some of that topstitching).  There are no closures and no side seams, so the princess seams are the main site of alterations.  The style lines had to be taken in a bit, especially at the back and I was able to alter it a bit, but a second version is needed to really get the fit right.

The fabric is speckled grey French terry, from Robert Kaufman, with plain black rib knit for the cuff, neckline and hem.  The weight of the French terry is ideal for this application so the dress feels substantial and warm.

Overall, this dress is AMAZING and like all other reviews of this pattern I've seen, I can't recommend it enough.  I want to wear it all the time! 

P.S. This necklace!  I bought it for myself from the SF MoMA store.  It's handmade from telephone wire!  

P.S.S. My 6 year old was "helping" me take photos and he suggested (with a demonstration, no less) how he thought I should pose.  Here it is: