Tulips and Dots

I am back with a Me-Made-Monday for you all.  So for any of you who were sad about Me-Made-May being over, here is another something in the homemade outfit post department.  I was busy this weekend; well, kind of.  I found some time to make another dress, and as my schedule usually is when it comes to sewing, it took me about three days to make.  Friday afternoon to cut it out and start, Saturday night to assemble the bodice and skirt, then Sunday morning to finish up the hem and the zipper.  I would love to sit down and sew a dress in one go, but no matter how hard I try, there are always other things I have to do.

This is another one from Sew Serendipity, the Bebe Dress.  I am calling mine the Tulips and Dots dress because, well, it is covered in tulips and dots.  If you remember, it was the first in my spring sewing queue that got skipped when that last bit of fabric came into my life.  I am so happy that I finally got the chance to make this one.  The only change that I made from my original plan was the polka dot fabric.  The material that I had intended to use for the contrasting band got used with my last dress, and I was never really that ecstatic about size of the dots that first material had.  I found this contrast with bigger polka dots a few weeks back, and I am a lot happier with how it looks next to this main material.

Since I am lately a regular with Sew Serendipity patterns, I wasn’t worried too much about the fit with this one.  I went with the same size small as I always do.  But, I did see a possible concern with the front armhole opening when I held the front bodice up to my body.  It seemed a lot higher than it should be.  The fitting here was my only complaint.  As a side note, the more regular wear I get with my other Sew Serendipity dresses, the more I notice that a snug armhole is a pretty regular occurrence (with the exception of the Marilyn dress, it has a nice arm opening).  Other than that, I was very happy with how this one came out.

Describing the design, I would call it an empire waist shift dress.  It has a nice pleat in the front and back center that makes it stand out a bit.  I really liked this feature, and the dress is very customizable.  The pattern came with several styling options including sleeves and other hem band choices.  Plus, a gathered skirt and even a bottom ruffle.  I went with the style I chose mostly because of the amount of fabric that I had: two yards of main fabric, and 1/2 yard of the contrast.  I would love to try the sleeved version, which I someday may, but not in 100% cotton.  Stiff sleeves just don’t work well with me and warm days.

Before I finish with my thoughts on this dress, a few words need to be said about the fabric.  I LOVED IT!  Yes, I did.  I got this from fabric.com in February.  I was doing my usual, weekly fabric troll when I came across a site that recommended art gallery fabrics.  I typed it into fabric.com and found several designs.  All three of my last material purchases were from this line, and let me say it again, I just love them.  They feel wonderful, they wash very nicely, and they press wonderfully.  And as as far as this one, the finished product came out looking great.  I will definitely be buying from this line again.

That is all I have for you guys today.  I am anxious to start on my next dress.  I am going to go with another repeat of something before I get to that Vogue pattern that I am a little nervous about.  I might even have a dress ready by this time next week.  It is supposed to rain on and off the next several days, so I reckon sewing will be a nice way to pass the time while stuck inside.  Until next time, have a great Monday, everyone.

Details: pattern – Sew Serendipity: Bebe || fabric – Art Gallery Nordika Tulip Vines  

~Linking up with:  Craftastic Monday, Creative Mondays, Do Tell Tuesday, Tuesday’s With a Twist, Sew & Tell Saturday & Modest Monday