Carol’s Sofia dress.
Wow how is it October already, you certainly wouldn’t know it from the weather we’re having in the UK right now. Although my blogger make would seem totally inappropriate for the season, its actually really lovely to wear on a sunny autumn afternoon as a standalone dress and under a snuggly jumper and boots!
Before I get into my actual make, please let me give a little background so you can understand how excited I am to make this summer dress in OCTOBER!
Hubby and I love our winter sun breaks, and pre-covid we used to enjoy nothing more than escaping the dark nights and freezing weather by jetting off somewhere sunny for at least a week.
But we have not done this since Covid hit! Until now, and we’ve booked again for our winter sun holiday!
So, when I saw this gorgeous Dashwood Studio Ace cotton lawn in The Botanical Navy print, I just knew I had to make this up into a fabulous dress to take to Mexico this winter!!
When my fabric was delivered, once again I felt like Christmas had arrived, I can honestly say a delivery by Felicity Fabrics is the most beautifully packaged parcel, I have never had a delivery from anywhere else which is as nicely packaged.
The fabric inside my box and tissue paper parcel was really lovely, beautiful quality, as I totally expected that it would be, being supplied by Felicity Fabrics and made by Dashwood Studio!
The background is a really dark navy almost black and totally strewn with the prettiest flowers in a whole myriad of colours!!
But which pattern should I chose? In the end after much deliberation, I chose the Sew Over It, Sofia dress with its amazing party in the back, which I totally love in this print, it’s so Mexican with all the fabulous tiers!
The dress pattern suggests that version 1 has the fabulous tie back and tiered skirt and version 2 has a button back and simple gathered skirt. I was really torn as to which version I made and to be honest changed my mind many times before I actually cut the fabric, but in the end, I decided to go with the button back as I thought reclining in a chair in a restaurant or bar, the bow might be a bit uncomfortable?? I’d love to know whether people who made this version would say this is the case?
But then decided I would have to make the tiered skirt!
So, I made version ½. Skirt from version 1 and bodice back from version 2!!
How typical is that of a sewist and isn’t that why we love to make our own clothes, each garment is totally unique to the maker!
So, what alterations did I make to the make, I added 1 inch to the bodice length and 1 inch to each of the tiers. The pattern is drafted for someone 5’6” and I’m 5’9” but to be honest I think the standard length would have been fine for me.
I’m totally in love with my swishy dress, and cannot wait to waft along a Mexican beach.
Did I have any issues? The instructions were really good, the pattern pieces matched up perfectly, the only grumbles I have is that the pattern reads as though the back bodice pieces should have a suggested position of the strap position and it didn’t so that was lots of guess work and I’m not totally happy with the strap position at the back, and I did struggle a bit with getting the fit right as the fastenings are at the back. But would I make another one, yes absolutely!!
