Sewing on a Budget: A Summer Dress in Black...& Red

This month I sewed a black cotton summer dress with with a really great stretch cotton from Abakhan Fabrics.

The project got off to a bad start as I thought I was ordering a black cotton jersey and intended sewing boy's t-shirts, so when this lovely cotton arrived I had to rethink. Salme Patterns have a free pattern for a dress that I've wanted to sew for a while, so I sewed the Sonja dress.

There are just 4 pattern pieces, so it isn't a very difficult pattern. The only slight changes I made were to add bias binding to the neckline and armholes, and to sew an exposed zipper. The binding and zipper both came from my stash.

Despite measuring the pattern pieces carefully and comparing my measurements, I had a problem fitting the bodice. It was much too large at the lower part of the armholes so I had to take about 4 cm from each side, tapering down to zero at the waist. Because of this I think the bodice lost some of it's shape at the armholes, and ended up overfitted.

One part of the pattern that I particularly loved was how the bodice darts and side seams aligned perfectly with the side seams and pleats of the skirt. (The picture is over-exposed to show the detail).

I'm not sure if a red exposed zipper was the best idea, but it was all I had. I used this method which I found on Burdastyle to sew the zipper. Though I like this method, I think the one illustrated by Pattern Runway would have looked better, as less of the red zipper tape would show.

The Burdastyle method allows for a neat finish inside.

The cost of the project was as follows
Cotton 97% Elastane 3% Fabric - white version £7.85 x 2m = £15.70
Free pattern
Binding from stash (similar available)
Zipper from stash (similar available)

As I used about a meter and a half, the dress cost approx £11.00.

And the modelled pics! Roles have very much reversed around here recently, my 6 year old loves being asked to take pictures. She took these pictures and is a natural behind the camera!

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