Brunch Dress Finished

Here's the brunch dress, which I actually like even more than the WGD.  It's simple and comfortable, and certainly more versatile than the fancier dress.

 

Here's my fabric layout, which ran diagonally the entire length of our living room!  I bought enough fabric to cut the skirt on the bias, but I decided, for simplicity's sake, to cut it on the straight grain.  Now, I kind of regret that decision, since the skirt blends in to the waistband more than I might like, and I think the bias-cut skirt would have given the whole thing a bit more drama.  But as a trade-off, I have enough fabric left over to make another BurdaStyle Ute blouse, which is turning out to be a great wardrobe-builder, and I know the blue paisley will work well in my spring/summer wardrobe.

The dress itself is printed cotton (I can't remember now if it's voile or lawn), and I lined it with white pima cotton lawn.  The lining fabric was definitely an extravagant purchase--it cost more than the fashion fabric!  But it was really and truly what I wanted, and it feels so luxurious when you're wearing it!  I decided to line, rather than underline, because I love the look and feel of a fully lined dress, and both fabrics were so light-weight, I didn't worry about bulkiness.  I both lined and underlined the waistband, to give it extra stability, since the fashion fabric was so delicate, and I think that was a smart choice.

Initially, I had some trouble with the bust-fitting for this dress, but the changes I made to the pattern had exactly the desired effect: the waistband fits close to my body under the bust, giving the dress a flattering shape.   I'm really pleased with the results, which you can sort of see here.  (It's also just a nice picture!)

In these pictures, I've accessorized the dress as I probably will for Angela's wedding brunch, with metalic strappy heels (because everything looks better with 3-inch heels) and my beloved-but-underutilized, paisley-embossed Hobo clutch, which I carried the day of my own wedding.  (My unhealthy obsession with Hobo bags is certainly the subject of another post!)  But the dress also works well in my casual wardrobe, paired with my new navy wedges and my favorite summer jacket.

Seriously versatile dress, right?  Want your own?  Well, stay tuned, because over the next week or so, I'll be writing up a series of posts describing how to draft this dress from a personal sloper or basic dress pattern.