Dresses!

I told you all my next project would be yet another Laurel, and here it is! I've finished my 6th Laurel, this time it's a(nother mini) dress with sleeves. That's mini as in mini skirt. Since my success setting in the sleeves on my Anthropologie-inspired Laurel top, I feel like I've opened a whole new world of possiblities. I can sew things with sleeves, without going crazy! I don't need to feel forced to only tackle kimono and raglan sleeves! Yes, sleeveless tops and dresses are nice, but who doesn't like a good ol' sleeve?

Now, before I get too carried away, I'll go ahead and out myself. I did indeed attach two successfully set-in sleeves to this dress, but only one actually looks right. The other one is a little bit poufy... but I don't care! I mean I care enough to point it out to you, but not enough to try to fix it. To me, it is really ok that the sleeves are not perfect -- I'll just get there someday, no need to stress!

Inadvertently puffy sleeve -- more noticeable when worn

For this particular iteration of the Laurel pattern, I decided to go for a dress that could pretty much be worn any time of the year. I used a navy and white speckled cotton sateen (stretch) from Fabric.com. I'm pretty sure Andrea used the black version for one of her cute Moss Mini skirts. I lined the dress with a dark blueish-purple bemberg rayon lining from Joann. And I, once again, made a million miles of bias tape and used it as a facing for the neckline, sleeve openings, and hem.

bias tape faced sleeve opening

neckline with bias tape facing

hem facing & dress lining

When it came to finishing the raw edges of the lining, I decided to try something I'd recently noticed in a vintage skirt. Instead of turning under and stitching, or using lace seam finishing tape, the bottom of the skirt was simply pinked and left hanging free inside the skirt. I figured, if it's good enough for a vintage RTW garment, it's good enough for me to try, too. I promise the pinked edge is not quite so uneven as the ripply fabric makes it seem in the photo. :) I'll be sure to report back soon, with photos of me actually wearing the dress, as well as details on how washing it goes, with the pinked raw edges. I hope it holds up!
UPDATE: Upon washing this dress on gentle cycle in cold water, the pinked edge of the rayon bemberg lining has started to fray, annoyingly, so perhaps this finishing technique is not suitable for all lining fabrics. :-/

In other dress news, I'm recently obsessed with the Emery dress pattern by Christine Haynes. It's vintage inspired and totally adorable. Shanni has made a super cute floral version as a pattern tester, which you should really check out, if you haven't already. She's also hosting a giveaway where one lucky winner will get their own Emery dress pattern, once it's officially released. I can't wait to see more Emery dresses pop up on the internet. I know I'd love to make the longer sleeved (sleeves! me!) version with the adorable collar in a lightweight wool for colder months. Mmm!

Emery