Complete: Gathered Sundress

Confession: I have a bit of a thing for sundresses. Ever since my sister and I made a pact about five years ago that we would actually start wearing the dresses in our wardrobes (v intimidating - someone might see... hey, we grew up in the 90s, when minimalism + grunge meant that heels with jeans felt wildly overdressed), I've been completely enamoured with the sheer effortlessness of a sundress. Throw it on and you're good to go :) Gotta love that!

Consequently, I've  been on an ongoing quest to find/make the Definitive Summer Dress. You've seen my 70s shirtdress and my sari dress, but here are a few pre-blog others:

Five years old and still a favourite - New Look 6557. And being halterneck, almost impossible to photograph hanging up... Printed cotton lawn, lined in plain lawn. Perfect for looking presentable in ridiculous heat.

Burda 7494. Modified to A-line skirt with pockets (of course). Red lined broderie anglaise. Always feel happy in this, but it's best worn in the 20-something Celsius range.

Can't actually remember which pattern this was, only that I made so many changes it was hard to tell it was that pattern in the end... Good dress for more formal occasions in hot weather, but not a whole lot else. The pencil skirt is just a bit constricting in summer.

Burda 7494 again, sans cap sleeves and with altered neckline, A-line skirt and pockets. Excellent throw on dress - fitted but not tight, breathes beautifully, and has a happy print. Love it.

And now, the latest in the sundress family - Pattern Runway's Gathered Sundress.  This may be my favourite yet...

I found this silk-cotton at The Fabric Store in Melbourne. I adored it on sight; I didn't know you could get silk-cotton! It's the best of both worlds - the luxury and feel of silk and the breathability and cooperativeness of cotton. And I swear, it's like air to wear :)

It's not a solid teal, it's actually a very thin teal and green stripe, with almost a seersucker texture.

I was of two minds during construction - there was enough after cutting out all the pieces to squeeze out a sleeveless top. But, after chatting with my Real Life Sewing Friend I decided to finish this off properly - the way I really wanted to. Therefore, piping!

I love piping anyhow, but piping in striped fabric just makes me very, very happy. The binding on the pocket edges was part of the pattern, and it's one of my favourite details.

This is a pretty easy pattern to put together - it really just has to be fitted at the bodice and waist. This was an XS graded up to between an XS and S at the waist. And it has just the right balance of fitted and breezy that a sundress should have. Being a pretty classic style too, it's going to give me years of wear. To me, that ticks all the boxes!

That's about it for this summer's sewing. I've got a couple of other makes to post, but I'm getting excited about my planned cool-weather projects. After all, Me Made May is approaching...

Hey, just out of curiosity, would you have gone for two garments, or added extra detail to the one??

Have a wonderful week :)