handmade wardrobe: metamorphic dress
my first sew of 2019 is complete! and while it’s not actually part of my make nine plans, this metamorphic dress was a project that i knew would get made regardless of other priorities. that’s because it’s the base outfit for a big photoshoot i’m doing in march. as i stress about getting everything ready in time for that date, i’m glad that at least my dress is done and off my to-do list.
i made a couple of hacks to the dress, which i’ll outline here in case anyone else is interested in making similar adjustments. first off, i sewed a size 8 (this is in comparison to the size 10 i make for my slightly closer-fitting hinterland dress and hacked crop tops). secondly, i added three inches to all the skirt bottoms, which put it at the perfect length for me (i like just below the knee for most of my everyday skirts). and finally, i knew i wouldn’t take advantage of the double layered aspect of the dress, so instead of doubling up the torso, which would have added unnecessary bulk and used extra fabric, i chose to go with a single layer upper body and doubled only the skirt. this meant a different construction method to get a clean finish, which included:
hemming the skirt pieces separately first
sewing the shoulders together with french seams
sandwiching the upper front and front skirts together and sewing french seam at the waist
repeating step 3 for the back pieces
attaching back and front side seams with more french seams
finishing it all off by rolling and stitching the neck and armholes
i’m totally in love with it already (and have worn it out and about), and i’m planning some multiples. it’s such a comfy garment and looks great even without the usual waist definition i prefer. also, c’mon, those patch pockets are just perfect.
UPDATE (2022): this sweetie has been worn sooooooo many times and even made it into this year’s halloween costume! it needs some mending on a hole in the upper skirt layer, and the bajillion wash cycles has shrunken the fabric a bit (linen and cotton will do that to you, even on the cold cycle), but it still gets plenty of compliments. check out the me-made wardrobe mini course for more on creating and maintaining your own wardrobe!