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Saturday 1 July 2017

A polka dot wrap dress



....Or the story of a twice forgotten dress. Last month I checked my Instagram account to see at what date in 2016 an event took place. (Do you also use Instagram as a picture diary? It's my favourite data source when I want to know when and where I bought that floral fabric, at what time last year I picked the first sweet peas or when we visited a concert or exhibition. But I digress) What I was going to say was I rediscovered this picture:




Posted in June 2016, when I was cleaning my sewing room and found a shoe box with a neatly labeled Vogue 8379 wrap dress. I cut it out during the summer of 2015 and then completely forgot. Salient detail: the print on the sticky notes says 'don't forget'.

Apparently I finished the dress at the end of August 2016, given this photographic evidence of hand stitching the hem in the garden.



The dress was put away in the back of my closet and if I hadn't seen that IG picture again I'm afraid it would still be there. Well, it's re-rediscovered now!

It's a remake of the  Jungle January dress, with short sleeves. I made my standard adjustments for this pattern: lengthened the bodice, skipped the facings and lengthened the ties.




It's still my favourite wrap dress pattern. I like the look of the diagonal pleats, the neckline lies flat and there is plenty of overlap in the skirt, making it suitable to wear on a bicycle.




No wardrobe malfunctions during a typical Dutch breeze, so what's not to like? I'm not sure. What are the odds of a twice forgotten dress turning ever into a wardrobe staple? Time will tell!

17 comments:

  1. Oh it's beautiful and fits you quite nicely! The dress was meant to be made!

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    1. Thank you. I'm glad it kept showing up at unexpected moments!

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  2. Nothing like a great wrap dress which yours is!

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    1. It's never out of style as far as I'm concerned!

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  3. It's so fun and nautical. I love it.

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  4. Looks beautiful on you! What a nice surprise for you to find a completed new dress. I've avoided Instagram, but I never thought of using Instagram as a picture diary, what a great idea!

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    1. Thank you! After avoiding it for a while I now like Instagram for many reasons. Last year I labeled all my cutting garden bouquets and during winter I used them to make of list of plants to fill some gaps, so useful! As for sewing: I like seeing in progress pictures on IG, and the little peeks into daily life that show the context of the sewing. I think you'll love it!

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  5. What a nice surprise! Just love the note telling you "Don't forget!" This certainly looks like a wardrobe staple to me; hoping you wear it often and with great satisfaction!

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    1. Those spooky notes did their job! This dress seems to with all colours and I'm really having fun pairing it with different shoes and jewellery!

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  6. Lovely dress and I'm sure it will be in regular rotation in your wardrobe. Your garden is looking magnificent too.

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    1. Thank you. The garden is slowly adjusting after a rough start and so are we. Summer is here!

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  7. I'm glad you found this dress, because it really deserved to be finished and worn. A great classic. Good idea to use IG more as a record - I am still working out how best to integrate it!

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    1. Thanks! I like it that many sewing bloggers share pictures of other interests as well on Instagram. I've exchanged recipes, got travel tips, and recently had a wonderful meetup with an Instagram sewing friend from the Los Angeles area, proving social media can really connect people.

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  8. Your dress is gorgeous. I love the fabric! I'm so glad you found it, it deserves to be worn!

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