A Swirly Summer Dress

Here's a summer dress I made yesterday afternoon from New Look Pattern no.6936. This is so amazingly simple to make, and although it doesn't look much on the hanger, it is surprisingly pretty on. It has a nice wrapover top and ruched shoulders with ties, and has an empire-line waistband. I can't wait to wear this with a white vest top and white lined trousers, sandals and maybe some jangly bracelets. Perfect for a daytrip on a sunny summer's day.

A Love-ly Empire Summer Dress

I've just made myself a new summer dress in a soft polyester fabric that's printed with words of love - in French. Ooh la la. I used my favourite pattern, which is Butterick B5245, should you wish to give it a go. I added side seam pockets to my version, made by simply drawing around my hand to make a pocket pattern and leaving a gap in the side seams where I want the pockets positioned and sewing them in. Also, instead of the short sleeve from the pattern, which was a bit too short and didn't quite cover my dinner lady arms, I traced the sleeve pattern onto new paper and added a couple of inches in length to make it more flattering. This is a brilliant pattern though, which I have used to make winter dresses in stretch and crushed velour and now in a summer weight polyester. It's so easy to make it only takes a couple of hours to run up, and I'm looking forward to wearing it.