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Summer is my favourite time of the year, not least because I love sewing (and wearing) pretty summer dresses!! I had a few patterns on my "to-make" list for the coming summer, and one that I was excited to try was the Papercut Patterns Adrift dress.
The dress has cute fluttery sleeves and a wrap skirt with a flounce which I thought would look amazing in a nice cotton lawn. I decided to use the Lady McElroy Lola Marlie Care cotton lawn, which I thought was a perfect summery print - it has a really beachy feel and reminds me of rockpools!
While the sizing chart put me in three different sizes between hips, waist and bust, I decided to cut a straight size XS as the waist and hips are designed to be loose fitting. In hindsight, I should have sized up in the hips, as I would like it to be a little looser here.
The only change I did make to the pattern was to add quite a bit of length to the bodice, and then also adding a waistband when I realised the bodice was still too short! A warning for others blessed with height, it still came out a little short for my usual taste, especially at the front where the skirt wraps!
The waist of the dress is cinched in with a cord which is tied off to the side. I inserted some gold eyelets to thread the cord through, and also finished the cords with some gold toggles to match. I think the cord is a cute touch and I love that it adds to the casual, beachy feel.
As for the fabric, it is a really lovely cotton lawn! It has the characteristic crisp hand of cotton lawn that makes it super easy to sew with and very satisfying to press. It also makes the sleeves and flounces really stand out on their own, which gives the dress a slightly more dramatic shape than using a more drapey fabric would do.
I also love the colours of this print - they are nicely saturated and the print is a great quality. Just perfect for summer picnics in the park! Which I still can't believe we'll actually be able to have this summer - woo hoo! After two years of lockdowns, I am definitely ready to be out and about this summer. And now I have the perfect dress to wear!!
Thanks for your blog contribution Beata, what a beautiful make!
You can check out Beata's instagram here for more great makes and inspiration
