This is the third time that I have made a dress using this same pattern! This beautiful dress with a mandarin collar, cap sleeves, and the option for a pencil or a gathered skirt is from Patterns by Gertie (through Butterick). Both other times that I made it, I opted for a pencil skirt and left off the sleeves. This version looks so different from the other ones, and is super comfortable. I ended up adding some fabric to the skirt panels so that I could have more gathering, and the front panel of the bodice may be slightly different (I lost the pattern piece somehow, and had to draft it using the bodices of the other versions I've made), but other than that I followed the pattern exactly.
I have been holding on to this fabric for a few years now, but I was bored and in the mood for a fun summer dress, and I thought that this navy eyelet cotton would be perfect.
CBC has been playing Ordeal by Innocence (a mini-series from 2018 based on the Agatha Christie novel), and it has the loveliest costumes from the 1950's! I especially love the sweet, innocent styles that Hester Argyle (played by Ella Purnell) wears, and the elegant dresses worn by Mary Durrant (Eleanor Tomlinson).
You can see photos of the other two dresses that I made using this pattern here and here. Both were inspired by the film In The Mood for Love, by the director Wong Kar-wai. This one is a much less structured version, with no interfacing in it whatsoever.
I have never actually worked with eyelet before, so I was a bit nervous to use this fabric. Certain things were done differently to make sure you couldn't see anything through the holes. For example, I did not use interfacing in the collar or anywhere else since I didn't put a lining in the dress. Also, I pinked the edges (cut with pinking shears) instead of serging them because I don't have navy serging thread and the colours that I did have would have shown through.
I am wearing a black slip underneath and an Aritzia cardigan (only in a few of the photos), with Rockport heels. I was a bit worried about the dress being too see-through, but it is actually very easy to wear! I think it would be great to put over a swimsuit as well, or a white slip to show the design of the eyelet a bit more.
This was another quick project that I enjoyed (I have so much fun gathering, so I loved putting the skirt together), and this will be a great addition to my closet. Have you ever worked with or worn eyelet clothing before? Did you have any issues with it being too see-through?
Thanks for reading!
~K
