Floral Silk - A Rita Blouse Dress Hack

This dress was actually my first make of 2019 and guys, it's a PRINT! WHO EVEN AM I THIS YEAR??!!!

I love prints, I truely do, but when I put fabric under a needle, inevitably it is a solid colour.

In fact, last year I made 19 garments and only ONE of them sort of qualified as a print. So I'm feeling VULNERABLE right now.

The Pattern

It's the Rita Blouse by Charm Patterns hacked into a dress. I've done it before in a bright red cotton seersucker which you can see below:

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Ciao a tutti! 💃🏻💃🏻 Looking a bit #italian 🇮🇹 in my DRESS HACK of the #ritablouse by @gertie18 ✔️ traced pattern to waistline markings. ✔️converted darts to princess seams on my skirt pattern which I attached to the bodice to make a dress pattern. ✔️comfortable cotton seersucker ✔️ added flounce to hemline ✔️side zipper and different pattern pieces for cup size B-DD. . THIS dress is quick and comfortable. So expect to see this in a million different colours this summer. K thanks. . . . #thelittlereddressproject #reddress #sewing #sewersofinstagram #memade #charmpatterns #hack #offtheshoulder

A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Dec 8, 2018 at 8:10pm PST

The Fabric

My sister recently got married and for her hen's (bachelorette) night, the theme was floral. I love a good theme and decided to make my own dress.

I had this beautiful, delicate silk chiffon in my stash that seemed perfect, but being chiffon it was super sheer and thin.

I decided to underline it with a cotton poplin to give it body and stop it from being see-through and it worked a treat! The poplin also helped the colour of the silk look even more vibrant.

The Details

This dress is underlined but not lined. It closes with an invisible zipper down the side seam and is finished with a flounce at the hem.

The bodice is gathered under the bust and centre back yoke, and shaped with ELASTIC around the neckline.

The SLEEVES can be worn on or off the shoulders depending on the look or mood.

I added a few SOFT PLEATS to the centre front of the bodice yoke to give the neckline more of a sweetheart shape.

Final Thoughts

This dress feels light and comfortable, but has that glamorous touch that gives the garment that little 'extra'.
It has already become one of my most worn me-mades and is the perfect 'day to night' transition dress.

Here's to more printed fabrics in my future!

 

The Rita Blouse(s) + Linen Flounce Skirts

Sometimes when you like a pattern, you just got to back up that make with another three (or four). Cause when I like something, I like it HARD.

The Pattern

Blouse
It's the Rita Blouse by Charm Patterns.
It's a vintage inspired, princess seamed top with an elasticised neckline, gathered bust, and two sleeve variations.

The sizes range from 2 - 16, with different pattern pieces for cup sizes B-DD.
I cut the size 6 with a D cup.

Skirt
The skirt is a self-drafted faux wrap, with a flounce on the hem, a waistband, and an invisible zip closure down the centre back.

The Fabric

I used a cotton seersucker from Spotlight for the blouse.
It has a slightly heavier weight than a cotton lawn or voile and the texture of this lovely fabric elevates the look of the blouse when using a solid colour.

The skirt is made with a heavy-weight linen from The Fabric Store in Vintage Blush, White, Paprika and blue (but not the duck-egg blue).

Loves

I love that the sleeves can be worn up or off the shoulders, depending on the look (or mood) you're going for.
There are also two different versions of sleeves, the flutter cap or the elasticised version that I went for.
The bodice has princess seams which ensures a close and flattering fit. Princess seams are also great for making fit adjustments after you've sewn the seam.

I recently used this pattern to draft a dress that I made for the festive season,  which you can see below:

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A post shared by Julia Bobbin (@juliabobbin) on Dec 8, 2018 at 8:10pm PST

Conclusion

It's pretty clear that I love these linen skirts. They are so crazy comfortable and keep you cool in summer. They're easy to wash, keep their shape well and just get better with age.

The Rita blouse is versatile with low-key glamour and easy to mix with other wardrobe staples. These two patterns pair so nicely together and are the perfect go-to for a quick sewing project that you know you can finish in one session. WIN!