Holiday dress

Imagine, if you will, a Greek island, much like the island that Mama Mia was filmed on (it’s the one next door).

Imagine I’ve a fair golden tan and my roots don’t need doing (this Friday).

Imagine I’ve no bags under my eyes from a day in front of a computer and I’m not stood in a chilly garden in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, posing for my impatient daughter who would rather be doing other things.

Imagine instead that I’m strolling down a Greek harbour front with my ‘smiling’ daughter and ‘chilled’ husband for a fresh fish dinner.

Imagine I’m wearing this dress!

I fell in and out of love with this dress whilst I was making up. I had the comfort that the fabric was a remnant picked up from Abakhan for around £4 so I persevered thinking at least I could work through some new skills ready for another attempt later on.

I decided it night just be good enough for around the pool as a cover up.

However, when I finally attached the bodice to the skirt and added the elastic my love for this simple dress came full circle.

This is the Myrtle Dress by Colette. It came with a booklet of step by step instructions with pictures which was a pleasant change from my usual Burda patterns.

I had seen so many great examples of this dress by Colette and I love a cowl. 

It’s pattern for stretch fabrics but there are also instructions for a woven version available on their website which includes different finishes for the neckline/arm holes etc. The stretch instructions allowed for only minimal seam allowances, expecting you to overlock only all the seams.

This fabric was almost a mixture of the two, a thin stretchy woven, slippery and it frayed like mad.

I stitched the seams on my normal machine and with the mean seam allowances and the fraying fabric it just looked a mess.

However once the allowances were overlocked and the other raw edges disappeared as I pieced it together, it transformed from a shabby remnant into this rather pleasing frock. The pesky fabric drapes like a dream.

I’m definitely making another; but with a couple of adjustments.

This was the long version and it is only turned under by a cm! For a day time one that I would wear out and about in the summer (in Wakefield) I will add a couple of inches to the bottom. I’ll probably add an inch to the length of the bodice as well but looking at these photos in not sure it’s necessary now.

I will use a slightly thinner elastic but this was all they had in an emergency at Dunhelm Mill.

And next time I’ll put on some fake tan.

Love, Lucie xx