The Floral Fan Dress

*insert generic comment about my long absence here*

Moving right along, my oldest friend C, got married a few weeks back. I was invited to her hens party in Sydney, with the theme being Happy Housewives. Of course I took this to mean bust out your best Mad Men/mid-century style. After some thought I decided it’d be just the thing to kick me back into sewing. This decided, I was in search of fabric, I wanted something that was pretty and vintagey, but not so much that I wouldn’t be able to wear it on weekends and fun dress casual Fridays at work. I settled on this beautiful pink and floral fan design by Liberty (called Mer Shell).

I had originally planed on making Burda 7179 but after some thought I decided that all the pleating wouldn’t show off the fabric to its best. So then I swapped to Simplicity 2444, which seems to have been made up by every blogger ever. Having made one, I totally understand why, ill-fitting cover aside it’s adorable and very easy.

For the most part I ignored the instructions. I underlined, rather than using facings (which I hate a little), skipped the pocket and took up the shoulders. I still have a bit of gape at the top of the bodice – having sewn a few projects since this, I would have known how to sort this out but I ignored it. I made the sleeveless version with the cape collar, but made mine removable. I also did a visible zip at the back, which I am pretending is a feature, but really is because I didn’t have an invisible one/thought the top was going to be too small so used minimum fabric sewing it in. I also took about 3 inches off the hem.

All in all I am very pleased by how it turned out – I can see things I could have done better – the zip, mainly, as well as lining the skirt (it’s a tiny bit transparent), as well as the finishing on the inside which I am ashamed of could have done better.

And now to pictures!
(one from the hens – unfortunately I didn’t think to take any good ones, so had to crop one a photographer took and blur out my friend, N’s face)

(and a few at Floriade, Canberra’s annual festival of flowers)

Hat: Alannah Hill | Belt: Portmans | Cardi: Jacqui E