Last autumn/winter, I came across this lovely needlecord on my all-time favourite stall in Durham market:
I think that this is one of those fabrics which are not so alluring in detail but work well as part of a larger garment. That said, I do love all of the circle patterns, and how they’re all slightly different to each other. Although actually that wasn’t my first reaction. My first reaction, visions of a pinafore* forming in my head, was, “You know what that needs? That needs some a deepish, bright pink to set it off!”
And hence this dress was sewn: worn here with tights and a long sleeved top as I suspect will be done for most of its life
The bodice has a bit of a story to tell, albeit not a fantastically long one. Beginner sewer attempts gathering. Beginner sewer misses a key feature of the steps involved in gathering and so beginner sewer ends up with pleats instead. But the said pleats are sufficiently symmetric that they can be a feature of the dress without going through the hassle of taking them out and re-sewing again.
Here’s the side view. It’s pretty fitted – that is to say very fitted due to a rather overenthusiastic swayback alteration on my part. The lump that you can see at the bottom of my back is where the zip ends and the surrounding material doesn’t hang quite properly. I should probably stop making clingy dresses now but it’s just the novelty of being able to make and wear something without the ability to fit a large swimming towel between the back of me and the back of it!
I’d quite like to make the other version of this pattern with a more flared skirt and a different bodice. I do like the gathers (/pleats) but it isn’t that flattering on the bust – again maybe a bodice that would work better without the need for an FBA!
*British ‘pinafore’ = American ‘jumper’
*British ‘jumper’ = American ‘pullover’. I’m still getting used to that one.
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