This is a 2022 project that I think will continue well into 2023. The fabric is just too good for this not to be reworked!

It all started with a sketch. I mashed together a few patterns; the funnel neck and bodice from the Pattern Emporium Be You tee, the bishop sleeve from the Pattern Emporium True Romance top, and the tier lengths from the Style Arc Nova skirt (which I had already adjusted for my height). The stunning printed velour was from The Cloth Shop.

First progress photo on Ada – looking good!

Then with the next two skirt tiers added. I used the width of the fabric to determine how much fabric was in each tier – and in retrospect, this was a mistake. I should have used consistent ratios of gathering in each tier. But I’ll get back to that.

And with the final tier added. So lets try it on!

First thing – it’s SO swishy! It’s lovely to feel all that fabric moving around my legs as I walk and turn.

But – it’s all TOO MUCH. The fabric pile glistens and gleams, the cowl has loads of fabric, the bishop sleeves have loads of fabric, the skirt has masses of fabric! I need to change things up, because I love that fabric. I asked Instagram for suggestions and people had a variety of ideas. Many said to shorten the sleeves, but this is a winter dress and I wanted to keep those sleeves long. So I removed the bulky cowl neckline and added a band instead, leaving it as a scoop neckline (which should work well with plain scarves).

But – that’s as far as I’ve got. It’s still not right. When I look at photos, I think I’ve worked out the issue. This dress has three tiers, but they all have different amounts of gathering. The second tier, at hip level, has the most gathers, so that is horizontal line that you notice the most. It’s at the level of an 80s/90s dropped waist. I’m not keen, plus the sleeves gather into the cuffs at around the same place.  It’s not working for me! So at this stage I am considering the following alterations:

• remove the bottom two tiers and recut and regather the second tier so that it’s the same amount of gathering as the top tier
• consider whether to leave it as a shorter two tiered dress and not add the bottom tier at all
• or remove all tiers and use the bottom tier to add fabric to the top tier so that it is as gathered as the second tier.

I am still open to suggestions! I suspect that none of this is going to happen until we’re well into winter. I don’t usually put in the time to rework garments, instead tending to donate them to someone who likes them as they are. But this fabric deserves my effort.