One Piece 4 One Dress

After I joined some sewing groups through Facebook, I have come across an entire community of extremely talented designers/seamstresses.  Many have blogs, some just like to share what they make for customers and/or family.  One day, I saw this dress on a group timeline and I thought it was simply gorgeous.  

Simple and Gorgeous.  

Two pieces cut on a fold.

Really?  

That simple, huh?

So I searched through my memory bank to think of a shirt/blouse that I was fond of.  I searched through the numerous (understatement) patterns of mine to see which would give me a neckline I like with an attached sleeve.  Memory lane brought me to my very first post where I made a blouse using M6563. 

I didn’t want to use both the front and the back.  Mainly because I wanted to successfully make ONE dress with ONE pattern piece.   At one point, earlier this year, I tried on the blouse backwards loved the back neckline in the front, as well as the front draping in the back!  

Soooo…..I used the actual back pattern piece, placed it on the fold, not on the bias as the pattern instructs, of my fabric and cut both pieces (simultaneously).  I made a few adjustments as seen below:

• Added a bit more room under the arm and extended the length of the sleeve......

• Created a seam down the back to shape the dress a bit more to my body
• Added more fabric to the neckline, just as I did in my original post. (A perk to blogging what you make is that you can go back and read what adjustments you had to make to a pattern!!)

• Added some pockets to the side seams (these were a bit lower than desired, but it works #LearningLesson).  And yes, I know, adding pockets takes away from the whole "one piece 4 one dress" concept, but.....I wanted pockets!

• After trying on the dress I decided to change the shape of the sleeve (you will notice the sleeve is not as long and not as fitted on the dress as it is on the blouse)

This dress......(dramatic pause)…….was SO comfortable.  

I’ve made it twice with some type of woven fabric.  I purchased this years ago so I have no idea what it is.  I chose fabric from my stash (again, an understatement) that had some weight to it so I’m not so concerned with the wind creating a Marilyn Monroe moment.  And a fabric that allows my body to breathe while wearing it. 

I’m very happy with this dress.