Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Darling Ranges Dress


Did you see that Megan Nielsen recently released the first pattern based on her past collections? Since I'm a big fan of her work, I was waiting for this moment, so I bought my copy as soon as it came out and it arrived in my mail surprinsingly quickly.


It was such a delight to sew this dress! The instructions are great, the pattern sheets are made in a sturdy paper that is ten thousand times better than the super thin one you usually get, I even loved the sizing (the pattern comes in 5 different sizes, which means clear lines to follow on the sheets).
I had to make an FBA (which is starting to be a standard for me), other than that everything went great and all the marks matched up. I really love that the neckline is finished with bias tape (see last detail photo), because I loathe facings and this way you have a chance to add a splash of colour (pink and white polka dots for me :D).

The only downside is that the neckline is a bit too low for me and I find it a bit uncomfortable: great for a date, not so much for the library. I'll add a camisole underneath for every day wear (I can use one more layer in winter anyway), but a future version will definitely have a higher neckline.

The fabric I used is a lightweight viscose I bought last summer; I had saved for this pattern and I'm so happy I did. I think they work great together and I can't have enough polka dots (seriously, my wardrobe is vomiting polka dots).
 
Sorry if this post was a bit on the cheesy side, but I guess you've realized by now that I have a new favorite pattern. I can't wait for Megan to make more of her designs available, in the meantime I've already decided that I'll make a sleeveless version of the Darling Ranges dress for next summer, as she suggests in the instruction booklet.