Backwards Everyday
Pattern: Everyday Dress by Peppermint Magazine (free pattern!)
Fabric: Rayon from Finch Knitting + Sewing Studio (from the Business Class line by Jessica Jones for Cloud 9) + Merchant & Mills denim from Stitch Sew Shop
Sewn up: Summer 2019
Oh dear! This dress turned out a little bit funny but I kind of love it anyway. I originally picked up this olive green rayon last November as a way to bring some more cold-weather-friendly colors into my wardrobe, but it sat untouched all fall and winter.
Then the Peppermint Everyday Dress was released. I loved how long and loose the sleeves were, especially in combination with the shortness of the skirt, and it seemed like it could be a fun dress to wear on a summer night. My stashed rayon, even though in a cooler color, seemed like a good fit because it is so light and soft and flowy.
However, I was half a yard short of the fabric I needed for the pattern. Since the dress is designed to be reversible (one side v-neck, one side scoop), I had the idea that I could color-block a rectangle of solid fabric down the back so the dress would read as a single print from the front, and the sleeve would still pick up the floral uninterrupted. Maybe the surprise in the back would even be exciting, and make it feel like two different dresses if I wore it reversed? My friend recommended I just buy some more yardage of the fabric, but I really liked the idea of using up what I had – the parameter of “figure out how to make this dress without enough fabric” felt fun to me.
There were a few bumps in the road!
The full floral front in this color ended up looking like way too much on me – channeling pajamas or curtains. Kalle at the sewing shop verified that this can happen – you love a print, but in a dress it is just too much. I hadn’t run into this before because I have mostly made tops, so this was a good lesson! The color-block turned out to be a nice savior – I tried the dress on backwards and the broken-up print felt more wearable. So I made that side the front!
I made an errant cut into the quarter yard of denim I had picked up for the color-block, so, because of my decision to make the back the front, I ended up with a less-than-ideal seam across the bustline. Oh well! I left it, because I found myself strangely committed to the challenge of making this all work without buying extra fabric.
The sleeves and dress hung too long and robe-like on me as designed, to the point where I wasn’t sure it could ever become something I felt like wearing. But I shortened the sleeves by 3 inches, and the front by 2, and the tide turned! The hi-lo hem around the vent saved the day. This means it’s no longer reversible (the back would be way too short), but that’s okay with me given that the full print look wasn’t working.
I first made the belt out of the green, but it looked overly sash-like once I started treating the denim side as the front. I pieced together the little bits of denim I had left to make a new one that blends more into the dress in a way that feels much better! Plus, fewer scraps! (Actually almost no scraps overall from this project, as everything was such a tight squeeze out of the yardage I had!)
This was one of those projects where you get to solve a bunch of small problems and bask in that problem-solving glow! (Which can really make up for the moments of frustration that those problems cause along the way.) I don’t think it’s the best color or style on me, but the softness of the fabric, the comfort of the fit, and the (let’s just call it) “different” look that resulted from turning it backwards make this still feel like a win. Plus, now that I’m writing this post, it’s fall, so the colors are in season. Hello, trying this on with tights sometime soon!
~ Photos by Lizzie Epstein - thank you sister!!
Drawing process reel: kitchen table photo, pencil sketch, digital drawing.
