Blue Swallows Dress

Finished! This is Simplicity 0331, designed by Cynthia Rowley, made in a gorgeous blue lightweight swallow print cotton, courtesy of the Fabric Godmother. Quite appropriately, I was surrounded by IRL swallows as I wore this dress for the first time on the beautiful island of Vis in Croatia. Swallows, butterflies, lemon groves, fig trees, crystal clear water, isolated coves... you get the picture. (Yes, returning to Brixton was a culture shock.)

Back to the dress - it's a lovely loose-fitting, floaty design, very forgiving after a week gorging on researching the best ice cream flavour on the island (coconut, since you ask). I love all the gathers, which feature on multiple seams on this 13 piece pattern. Not the fastest make in the world then, particularly as I had to redo the yoke gathers three times when baste fitting the bodice, but one of those sewing projects that is a real pleasure if you're not in a hurry.




Next time I make it - and there will be a next time, I've already got a floral print red mystery fabric in my stash earmarked for this pattern - I might change the sleeves. I really love the loose-fitting sleeves, but while they look great on the model in the pattern illustration, combined with the other flouncey bits they kinda drown my small frame. Maybe I'll shorten them a little or add a cuff. But I'm not complaining - I still love this dress!

PS. Wishing my American readers a very happy Fourth of July tomorrow!

PPS. Going through my holiday snaps, I came across this one of seagulls tailing our boat back to the mainland. If only I'd had the foresight to take my dress photos in front of this background...



[Soundtrack: 'Sexy Boy' by Air]