Green spring dress, but not spring green!

I’ve started to work on a new pattern (and getting that pattern toghether was a crazy adventure in itself) and finally it’s time to make a real test!

I picked an army green linen from my stash, and this was mostly to please Miss Bossy over at “The monthly stitch” who had decided that a solid green was my color of the month.

(There’s a monthly challenge to try to live up to every month, but that’s another story)

Anyway, this fabric was a bit on the stiff and heavy side but what could I do? I had no other solid in green at hand. And isn’t it ironic? When the dress was completed I didn’t have the time to enter it in Februarys challenge anyway, so it was all for nothing 😉

Maybe I could try to sneak it in anyway??

 

But It turned out pretty nice anyway, so no more whining!

The material makes it feel a bit like workwear or an old style factory dress. I like that, but I’ve started on a tunic in silk, which gives a totally different feeling to the cut and shape.

 

The pockets are a bit special. They’re basically welt pockets, but the “pocket band” or the welt is parted, into two rounded parts overlapping in the middle. This rounded shape is also used in the back yoke, and there will be an option to make short sleeves in the same style. I called them petal shaped, another name is tulip (at least for the sleeves)

But wait, there’s more to the pockets!

 

Number two: The side that goes towards the center front is done in the normal way, the outer edge is enclosed in the side seam. Saves on work, friends!

Number three: The lower edge is longer, that makes the pocket a bit extended from the dress, it’s standing out in this fabric, hanging slouchy in a softer fabric.

And the grand finale!

Number four: Where the lower edge is sewn to the dress, the dress is slightly gathered!!

My, my, so many details in just one pocket!

 

 

As usual, welt pockets have to be finished with a bit of care, but the rest isn’t too difficult to make, I promise!

 

 

Here’s the neck and collar. The neck is raised in the back and is a part of the dress front piece.

The bust pleats go down from the shoulder seam, and the inside of the neck facing reaches into the sleeve seam, and this all works as a shoulder stay. That will keep the pleats from gaping in an uncontrolled way, and the sleeve seam from moving around.

Inside! The facing is just finished with the serger, too thick edging might show through here.

(The overlapping yoke is visible through the neck opening.)

 

 

The whole dress is very comfortable to wear, just as I wanted.

The sleeves have 2 pleats at the top. They need a bit of extra fabric, as the sleeve seams are moved in short bit. This gives a narrow look to the shoulders, but the pleats give lots of room to move freely.

I wanted this slender look for the shoulders as it complements the light A-line of the dress in a flattering way.

Now, in this fabric the pleats look a bit stiff and wide, but with a softer material they will be perfect, I think.

 

 

 

Finally the backside!

You see the yoke overlapping here (or you would, if the camera had focused properly)and the  not-too-wide  A-shape of the whole dress.

As usual I also took great care to have it not catching on the behind, an irritating habit of many dresses, for us with a sway back!

 

A big thank you to all my pattern testers, this pattern is now complete!

You will find it here!