I liked this dress so much that I made two!

Style Arc describe this dress as follows:  ADELINE DRESS:  Great designer style dress which is easy to sew and wear. The slight cocoon shape and its roll up sleeve makes give this style a casual but trendy look.  FABRIC SUGGESTION: Linen, Silk, Crepe.

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First off I sewed size 12 without alterations in a floral cotton that I’d picked up from the Darn Cheap Fabrics $2 table at some stage.  It was straightforward to sew.  I love the deep facings around the hemline and the neckline.

On the floral dress I chose to do the topstitching in bright green as a contrast. (Actually, I chose to do it because that was the thread colour already in the machine and I figured it would work).

I’m pleased with the way that this dress fits me at the back neck. There is a centre back seam, so it would be easy to tweak this to fit individual body shapes if you needed more or less curve.

The back facing curves downwards, which is nice stylistic touch. The sleeve hems are quite deep, which makes them turn back and sit well.

Lengthwise, this is a little longer than I prefer my hemlines. The hem has a definite curve up at the centre front and down at the centre back, which is why a hemline facing is an obvious choice. I am only 158cm tall, so that needs to be taken into account if you are sewing this dress.

There is a handy shorten/lengthen line printed on the pattern if you want to alter the length. I shortened it two inches the second time that I made it, and think it is a better length on me. This time around I sewed it in Merchant & Mills linen in a lovely smoky warm grey.

Now, grey is a bit too neutral for me, so I chose to use some teal topstitching along the pocket tops and to secure both the neckline and hem facings. I also used the selvedge to add a bit of interest along the top of the pockets. I now wish that I’d used selvedge down the centre back seam as well. Oh hindsight….

All the topstitching was done with a triple stitch. In addition to the teal topstitching, I used grey to topstitch along the centre back seam and shoulder seams. Just for that tiny bit more detail that no-one else will notice, but I will know is there!

This is a terrific style for those of us who prefer to avoid waist definition. I love both versions and know they will get loads of wear this summer!