Pattern: Hubbading Patterns Faye Dress, bought on Etsy

Fabric: A long-stashed mystery – I think it might be a linen-look cotton from Manchester’s Abakhan. It’s got a weightyish drape and a very nice washed-chambray effect finish.

Pattern & modification notes:

I’d been pinning a lot of dresses in this style (this one in particular) and was glad to find this pattern with the fairly-hard-to-hack diamond bodice detail. I first made it in a viscose lawn back in December-ish and took it on holiday to Mexico:

Back then I noted:

• Made size 8. There is a lot of volume and ease built in which might’ve felt overwhelming had my fabric not been so light. It pulls on over the head easily.
• Squished it out of only 2m where 3.5 is stated; I only had to reduce the sleeve length and slash-and-overlap some width out and cut the lining from another scrap to make this work.
• Thought there could been a neater way to finish the lined bodice, or eliminate lining completely; I don’t really care for multiple layers in a floaty summery dress. While the given instructions are clear, it’s tricky to be accurate at the middle-point intersection and it’s slightly inelegantly topstitched to secure along the gathered diagonal seams.
• Proportionally I wanted it a little bit longer – it’s an awkward on-knee length, I prefer a mid-calf midi.

I’ve been wearing it quite a lot and decided to make another to resolve these minor snags. For my second one I reduced the size further all over (pivoted some flare out of the bodice, shortened the back a bit, made the gathered skirt panels narrower). I added 5.5″ length (the maximum my fabric would allow) to the middle panels and eked the lower ruffle out of what was left of the yardage. Luckily proportionally I was pleased with how this turned out as well as having basically zero waste.

Inspired by another pinned garment, I jazzed up the neckline and hem with hand blanket stitch edging. I actually just turned a simple double hem all around the neckline which worked surprisingly well. The stitching is a bit haphazard but I do like the effect. I used a similar machine stitch to topstitch the elastic channels on the sleeves and left a little hem for a ruffly effect.

Thoughts: I’m just smitten tbh. It turned out exactly how I pictured and it’s all I want to wear right now.