Summertime and the living is easy. . . . I think summer is made for wearing dresses, and dresses are the things I like to sew the very best when the temperature rises. I've got a pretty good collection now of simple, slip-them-on-and-you're-dressed items, and I'll be sharing some pictures and thoughts over the next few weeks.
I'm starting out with a short sheath dress, one of the very first garments I made with Pattern Master Boutique software. This dress was drafted to my personal measurements, but the pattern catalogs are full of other similar patterns. This one has bust darts as well as waist darts.
The fabric is a darling pique print with umbrellas in blues and greens. I used a lime green linen to pipe the armholes and neckline. The hem was also piped, out of necessity, when I discovered the length was a bit on the short side. I made a facing for the hem and stitched the piping into the 1/4" seam that I allotted, leaving the maximum length possible. The lining is bemberg rayon.
Tomorrow I am off to see Natalie Chanin give a lecture at the Textile Museum in DC and will write a full report a little later in the week. Until then. . . .