In search of a great woven dress

I'd planned this post as an inspiration post about my spring mini wardrobe challenge. Then the month of march disappeared on me. I never found the fabric I wanted to do the two-tone turquoise, I lost 6 pounds (yay) throwing all of my half-done sewing projects into fitting dissaray (boo), and I consoled myself sorting buttons. So- Spring wardrobe planning is a little irrelevant and overdue at this point, but I still think I need to be planning with more clarity on what I want to make in terms of dresses---there are so many great dress patterns I want to try, but I cant seem to get it together in terms of picking appropriate shapes for my body, or fabric for the shape. Exhibit A: you've heard enough about this one. Exhibit B: the quilting cotton on the bottom does not make the nicest gathered skirt. Nor does it make a nice anything else. Im thinkig of taking it off and changing it to the Marie pattern off burdastyle, if there's enough fabric left. Exhibit C: Tara scarf dress.


It looks great in these pics, and I adore the pattern placement, but its almost completely unwearable because of the flimsey material combined with the shape- despite the fact that Kathleen pulls it off, I don't think this dress is meant for the large busted ladies.

Exhibit D: Anda.


ugh. fail.

Exhibit E: bugs.--for this one, the shape is ok for my body, and the twill fabric is comfortable, sturdy, and a good weight, but it looks ridiculous.

So---what to do? I haven't made a fully functional dress since my FIRST one- the coffee date dress, back in April of last year, almost a year ago. Ridiculous! Its time to get cracking, and do some planning on what might actually work on me. I like shirt dresses, long sleeved dresses, ones without a defined waist, ones with collars, too many options! but perfecting the fitted bodice and A-line skirt seems like a good move as beginning sewer. (this would be the aspirational choice) This is a fantastic creation by Ophelia K at Crocheterie. fantastic drindel by the Sew Convert. Makes me want to try piping. This is what I imagine as a perfect shape for work and play- basic block/sloper top, fuller skirt. I'm hoping to make something similar with the butterick pattern I'm adjusting now---now that I'm having doubts about the slim skirt idea. I love this skirt here- does anyone know- is this a half circle skirt? How hard is that to draft? I've been amazed by the stuff at Sew Weekly, as I said before. Especially this dress from Veronica Darling,which made me finally stop dithering and buy the Rooibis pattern from Collette:


and this one by the Sew Convert: this makes we want to try vintage, even though there are perfectly good patterns from today that are not out of print or require tracing.
Im totally in awe of this woman. Adey started sewing exactly when I started, and somehow she knocks everything she does out of the park.



And, just because I like it...I had to post this gem off burdastyle.