Floral Linen Dress

 I once read an article somewhere about how many people’s wardrobes do not reflect their lifestyle, often because there is a desire for a new fancy outfit for every special event that pops up on the calendar. In reality, our lives often need clothes for work, the gym, getting together with friends, etc. than fancy occasions, yet we jump for those pieces while barely shelling out for what is truly needed. I love the dressier pieces I make, and try to re-wear them for years instead of jumping for new ones (and the article was right - my work clothes wear out and need replacing far more frequently than my dressier clothes). 

 I definitely do not make a new dress for every occasion or holiday, but I couldn’t pass up this gorgeous linen for a dress. I used McCalls 7085, as I wanted a simple and classic design to really show off this amazing fabric. I made my standard size, and it fit beautifully, but I wanted a less fitted dress, so I let the darts out by half in width (I kept the length the same). While that was closer to what I envisioned, the fit still wasn’t what I wanted, and after messing around in front of the mirror, I realized that making the shoulder seams 1.5” and cutting the neckline lower fixed all my problems (and was way easier than moving all the darts!). Which just goes to show that sometimes the alteration needed is not what you think. 

This was a very loose weave fabric, which made any seam ripping a bit of a challenge, and I reinforced all the seams to prevent any loosening, and I know I’ll be wearing this beauty for years to come!