Tamlyn’s Ingrid Dress!
Hi everyone,
It’s been a while since I’ve featured on the Felicity Fabrics blog – this make should actually have been part of the ‘Secret Dress Challenge’ that the other bloggers completed last year (which is full of inspiration – do take a look if you haven’t read it yet!) , but life got in the way and unfortunately I wasn’t ready on time.
I did get the dress sewn up soon afterwards, but didn’t actually like the end result. I didn’t think it was ‘me’ and was sure I wouldn’t wear it, so I hung it up in my sewing room and was filled with disappointment every time I looked at it.
Recently I decided to try and refashion it as the fabric is so beautiful, it would be such a shame to waste it. I popped it on to take a ‘before’ photo and guess what…PLOT TWIST…I loved it! I was actually heading out on a date night that evening and decided to wear it for that – I felt great in it and absolutely loved wearing it.
So here I am, the next day, ready to tell you all about the dress – it’s been quite the journey!
Now when it comes to choosing blog projects, I usually choose my fabric first. But with this one it was actually the pattern that came first, after seeing some fabulous inspiration images online. I first became aware of Homer + Howells through Sharlene (So Sew Dressmaking on instagram & youtube). They’re a Glasgow-based pattern brand focusing on traditionally drafted patterns with a modern cut and just a nod to the season’s trends. They love British tailoring, boxy fits and big pockets. Although I hadn’t made any of their other patterns, the Ingrid dress really appealed to me. I loved that it has some really unique features, like the gathered panels, the asymmetrical seams and the centre front bust tuck, while still maintaining quite a casual vibe. I especially loved the Broderie Anglaise version modelled by Victoria (of Little Rosy Cheeks fame) in their promotional images. This is what inspired my fabric choice, but I’m not a girl who can wear white – I have a toddler and would definitely end up with mucky marks on it within minutes of getting dressed!
Ingrid is designed to be made in cotton lawns, poplin, linen, chambray, taffeta, fine cords or any mid weight structured fabric. You’ll be spoilt for choice when browsing the Felicity Fabrics site – they have a whole section dedicated to Broderie Anglaise with some beautiful options in. I especially love their new double gauze, which comes in three stunning colours. It was the ‘Cotton’ section that I found my fabric in – a striking cotton with a stitched criss-cross detail creating a diamond texture. It’s a really unique fabric, not like anything I’d seen before. As well as black, it comes in an Ecru colourway too. They’d be perfect for sewing up dresses, blouses, gathered skirts, tops and more!
Ingrid comes in three versions – a midi dress, mini dress and top. I opted for the mini dress, as that best suits my style. You also have two sleeve options – a simple t-shirt sleeve or a full sleeve gathered into an elasticated cuff. This was the option I went for, as I thought it would suit the fabric perfectly and big sleeves have been ‘on trend’ for a while now.
After choosing to make a Size 12, based on my measurements as well as the finished garment measurements, I requested 2 metres of fabric (The pattern instructions said 1.9m). Well, I don’t know where I went wrong but I didn’t have enough, despite following the suggested cutting layout, and had to request a further 30cm of fabric to be posted out! Thankfully the lovely Felicity got this straight out in the post to me so I could get on with my dress! This is just something to look out for though. I always use less than the pattern designers recommend in terms of fabric consumption, so this was a surprise and could have been a disaster if the fabric hadn’t been in stock.
The sewing up of Ingrid was straight forward – the instructions were really clear and detailed, with easy to follow diagrams throughout. They also have an in-depth sew along on their blog, so lots to support you if you get stuck or need a helping hand.
The fabric sewed up beautifully – don’t you just love sewing with cotton? It just does what it’s told – no slipping, sliding or moving around. A dream! I also think it was a perfect choice for this pattern, as it holds the structure of the sleeves and works well for the gathered panels.
It’s just a shame it took me a few months to realise how much I loved the dress, but better late than never I guess!
Thank you for reading today, I hope I’ve inspired you and perhaps it’s reassuring to know that we don’t always love the things that we make, at least not straight away anyway!
Happy Sewing,
Tamlyn xx
