Well, that was an unintentional blogging break!  Do other people find that November is one of their busiest months?  I have had two trips to Sewjourn in the last month, so actually have lots of new garments that need to be blogged.  I’ll make a start with the Style Arc Lacey dress, sewn on my first trip.

Now, I’m going to be honest with you – when I first saw the Style Arc Lacey dress pattern I thought no way! I wore pretty much that exact same dress in apricot and white checked gauze back in 1985….and I really do try not to wear the same styles at almost 50 as I did at 17. But then I looked at the line drawing again, heard a few people mutter “it’s very Gorman-esque” (and I always laugh at comparisons to Gorman styles, as I reckon the general aesthetic is quite mid-80s), and I realised that it would be a very cool and easy to wear summer dress. So I made one after all.

I sewed size 12, my usual Style Arc size in this type of silhouette, and didn’t make any alterations. The fabric is a divine printed rayon from Rathdowne Fabrics. It comes in another colourway as well that is more pink/blue.

From the Style Arc website: Slip into the fabulous Lacey Knit Dress. It’s easy to make and easy to wear. Lacey will work with either knit or woven fabrics. Sitting on the waist, Lacey has a slightly gathered skirt with side pockets. The interesting bodice has an extended shoulder line that creates a short sleeve that can be worn straight or rolled. The bodice has clever design lines that allow directional stripes or mixed textures. FABRIC SUGGESTION: Knit, jersey, rayon or silk.

Because I sewed the dress in rayon I decided to eliminate the side pockets.  I find that pockets just weigh dresses down when sewn in drapey fabrics like rayon, but I know that some people insist on pockets in everything.  Well, the option is there.  This was a very fast dress to sew, and most construction was on the overlocker.  I’ve mostly worn it without rolling up the sleeves (for more arm coverage – I’ve also had a skin cancer removed in the past few weeks, although not from my arm, and it’s renewed my sun exposure paranoia and increased my use of SPF 50 sunscreen).

This pattern would be fun sewn up in stripes,where you could play with the stripe direction on the bodice. This is definitely not the last time you’ll see me sew this dress – as it happens, I’ve already sewn it in size 4 for Clare!

Despite being highly reminiscent of my 1985 dress, I think that it’s been modernised with the placement of the waist seam and the relative small degree of skirt gathering.  It’s all those subtle tweaks that keep styles modern I suppose – whatever modern means!

This recent Style Arc pattern was a no-brainer for me.  V neckline, no waist definition – just what I love!

This is the Style Arc Patricia Rose dress. From the website: Feel comfortable and look great in this gorgeous V-neck dress. The under-bust horizontal tuck is enhanced by the front inverted pleat, side in-seam pockets and roll-up sleeves. This is a loose fitting garment and therefore has considerable positive ease. FABRIC SUGGESTION Linen, crepe, rayon.

This was an easy dress to sew. As always, it is impeccably drafted and all the pieces fit together exactly as they should. I sewed size 12. And yes, as always, I should probably have considered adding a sway back adjustment. But I didn’t.

This is another fabric souvenir dress. I bought the green striped hand-woven cotton on my last visit to Chiang Mai. Thanks again Gaye for doing all the reconnaissance for me and finding such wonderful little shops that sell such wonderful fabrics! I absolutely adore this one – and it’s just perfect for this dress.

The V neckline is faced, and sits very nicely. I really like that tuck as well. The bust darts originating from the armhole seem to work well with my C cup too. And the sleeves! Great length for autumn or spring weather, and the cuffs are simple to sew but add a lovely detail.

The hem is also fairly wide, which I rather like. It’s hemmed to pattern length which on me is right on the bend of the knee. I think that any longer would mess with the proportions. There are also side seam pockets. Often I leave them out of dresses, as I find that they just weight them down, but they work quite well in this one. I did most of the sewing on the machine but finished edges on the overlocker. Good thing that I have bright green overlocker thread!  Those cute embroidered shoes came from Chiang Mai as well.

I feel happy when I look at photos of this dress, and it’s been very comfortable to wear. Another Style Arc winner!