Sewing, thrifting and the like...


Wednesday 4 March 2015

A Fruity Maya

This, my dears, is my favourite summer dress.


If it's clean, I wanna be wearing this dress! The fabric is a stunning cotton linen blend from my Spotlight Christmas gift haul. I adore it. Wish I had more fabric and in the other colour-ways too. My sweet friend Jillian, made the most gorgeous culloutes with the blue colour-way.

I thought the linen content would make the dress a crumpled nightmare, but not so. Yes it needs a light iron after washing but I don't feel the need to carry an iron around with me when I wear this! Side note: this would never happen as I am totally allergic to ironing reallly.

The pattern is amazing. It is the very talented Marilla Walker's Maya dress/Top pattern


I love a pattern that has multiple options in one design. I have plans for a few of these! I chose the most simple dress design as I really wanted the fabric to shine and I didnt want to be breaking it up with plackets etc. I followed the instructions pretty much! The only things I did differently was to hand-stitch the facings down around the neck and armhole and the hem. I don't personally like the look of visible top-stitching, not least because mine is never very neat and it ends up looking a bit shit!


I fiddled with the hem slightly, pretty short at the front and curved slightly longer at the back. I like short dresses but don't want to be worrying about flashing people, so longer at the back is a really perfect shape for me. I love the shape of this dress, the way it is quite boxy and falls straight from the shoulder. I might even go down a size around the shoulders next time and try and get an even more defined shape!


I also added bigger pockets. The pattern piece is more suitable for a shirt pocket rather than the gert big pockets that this mumma likes for carrying around all the "treasures", snotty tissues, half-eaten banana's and other delights that I constantly find about my person :). I used the pattern piece as a template and just added a couple of inches all around!

Speaking of pockets....POCKETS! Can you spot them!?


I spent awhile pattern matching, and they are pretty dam perfect I reckon. I like to challenge myself to do something different/new/hard on each make and perfect pattern matching was it on an otherwise simple dress! Really stoked!


Anyway, not a lot else to say. Other than I DID put a little bit of thinking into beaver placement issues. But at the end of the day, with a design like this I was always going to have some issues. But actually I don't give a hoot. I am frankly too old to care!!


The last day of summer celebrated with a summer strut ;) I made this dress awhile ago and have just been slack blogging as per.

From now on in I will be enjoying sewing with winter weight wools and other such lushness. I love layering, so am not at all sad that Autumn has blown in from stage left... x


22 comments:

  1. Yay, so glad I finally get to see it! Love that fabric and this dress is totally meant for bold prints like that! You are such a Glamorous mumma x x x x x

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    1. Haha! Not glamorous at all, i just love the chance to get dressed up for my 5min photoshoot, then its back to my usual grungy self!! Great pattern love! xx

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  2. What pockets?! I love this dress a lot and it looks like it will also be a great layering piece with a long-sleeve and tights! You and the sunset and that dress = perfect! Xx

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    1. They are there!! Yes, i think i will wear this all year round...MUST MAKE MORE!! xxxxx

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  3. Nice strategy Jen. Love it.

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  4. Pockets!? What pockets?! … you said there would be pockets!!! ,) amazing job!!!
    This dress looks like you bottled up summer and than made it into a dress! Essence d’été!

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    1. Thanks. I do love a bright orange, such an energising colour! xxx

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  5. superwoman pocketeer, you had me right from the start and then you throw in that MAGNIFICENT LAYER.

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  6. I cant believe it's not vintage! Fabric that is. Love the vintage feel of this fabric though, perfect pairing with the dress shape and those sneaky hidden pockets - the work of a genius!!!

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    1. I know, it has a real vintage feel. Thats why i love...wish i had the other colour ways too! x

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  7. Those pockets are practically invisible! Amazing work. I love this colour. It looks gorgeous on you!

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    1. Thanks so much Kat, yes have totally turned from yellow to orange i think...wonder where i will head next! x

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  8. I love it, and that pattern matching pocket placement is amazing!! Great colour and the hi-lo hem is awesome!!

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    1. Thanks Heather! I thought i hated hi-lo, but apparently not...maybe just in fitted dresses where its very short at front and floor length at back, but maybe not...have plans for one! ha!

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  9. Wow!!! What a fab dress! I love the shape and the color- it's really tops! But your pockets! What?!?! Magic, I tell you!

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    1. I think this pattern would be great for you for spring/summer! We have similar shapes, although you are ALOT more petite than me ;) Hopefully your snow will melt soon xx

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  10. Magical pockets of wonder!!! I am in awe!

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  11. Great match up of fab fabric with a really great pattern. No wonder this gets loads of wear.

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    1. Thanks! I do need to make more before its freezing, but will make in Autumn colours so can layer them!!

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Hey, would love to hear from you, comment away my fine feathered friends....x jen