This is the dress that I made for Clare when I was at Sewjourn.  Super simple – it wasn’t even cut out before we arrived and still probably took less than two hours to make – and very much in fashion at the moment.

It is a dress with an overlay flounce for the top. A front and a back piece for the dress, a front and back piece for the top, with the top overlaid then stitched to the dress around the armholes and neckline. After that the edges are treated as one. I used gorgeous spotted bias binding from Leith‘s stash to finish the armholes and neckline, but of course you can’t see that lovely detail when Clare is wearing it!

There is a bias binding casing on the inside for elastic to be threaded through at the waistline. And that’s it! I used the overlocker for side seam construction and to finish the hems before turning them to the inside once and stitching by machine for a narrow hem.

The fabric is viscose/rayon from Darn Cheap Fabrics. So soft and drapey, and I actually have plenty of it since it was on the $2 table when I bought it! Sarah has used it to make a gorgeous Kimono jacket. I’ve got a dress cut out for me, and there is still plenty! I used size 8 width and size 10 length for this dress. At first I thought it was possibly a bit too short, but Clare is happy with it and when I see the length of her friends’ skirts I realise that short is clearly “in” at the moment.

I’ll definitely use this pattern again – it’s Simplicity 1625, and also includes a sleeveless layered top with V back, a V back top with gathered cap sleeves, and a shorts and capri pants pattern. I wouldn’t be surprised if every item gets made at some stage before the summer is over. Clare has worn this quite a lot already.