SNYPH part three: Appleton

So, I may have mentioned that I was hoarding some abstract aubergine-print jersey. I bought it last year, and it was basically the first time that I spent more than a few pounds on a piece of fabric. I waffled for nearly a month about whether I could justify dropping £36 on a bit of jersey, until it was pointed out to me that if I saw an aubergine-print dress in a shop for twice that much I'd have bought it without a second thought (I would then have spent a month dealing with the guilt, but I really like aubergines).

I wanted it to be a wrap dress. I'd not long made my Sew Over It wrap dresses, but I hesitated about using the pattern again. While I still wear the second dress fairly regularly (I wore it last night, in fact), it doesn't lend itself to everyday wear. Even after adding length to the pattern it's still quite short, and the neckline is low and a bit gapey. It doesn't bother me if I'm going out, but it's not a day dress. I tried another wrap dress, the test of which was not particularly successful, and the fabric continued to sit in my cupboard. It almost became a Moneta or a Wren, but I held back because this fabric had always said "wrap dress" to me. So it continued to sit in my cupboard. Then last month I decided that any fabric not used by August would get thrown out, and that was enough of a kick up the bum to get me cutting into the damn aubergines already.

Presenting the transformation of my long-unused jersey, the Cashmerette Appleton dress.

This pattern ended up being the chosen one for a few reasons: one, it was specifically designed for bigger busts so I assumed it would have a less revealing and therefore more versatile fit; two, I'd seen a ton of other versions and it appeared to look amazing on everyone; three, I panicked at the thought of having to get rid of this fabric and just started ordering stuff. Sometimes ordering in a panic really works; I think this dress is great. Worth dithering over.

When I first started making this dress my new sewing machine was misbehaving (hey, I broke the thread! hey, I broke the thread again! hey, I did it again! look at what I can do!) so after sewing up the shoulders and part of the neckband it sat untouched for a week. When I went back to it, the Gnome was in a better mood, and I got the dress completed in a few hours. I've now used both Cashmerette patterns and they are incredibly user-friendly. Beyond the Gnome throwing a strop - which is hardly the pattern's fault - I've not had even the smallest stumbling-block with either of them. The instructions are great, the patterns are simple but well-designed, and it's really easy to get a clean finish. Overall I think this is my preferred pattern of the two; it fills a need and I can imagine having a million of them. Well, maybe not a million. Four, maybe. If nothing else, I will definitely be making a black one as soon as I find some really nice black jersey.

It's funny - even though I loved this fabric so much I was too afraid to cut into it and ruin it, I'm still surprised that I like this dress as much as I do. To me it looks more traditionally feminine than I will ever usually go. Looking at the fabric close up I just think "aubergines!", but looking at it as a dress, especially in that first shot, it reads as a white and lavender dress with quite a delicate print and looks a bit like I'm preparing to host a garden party. I would never have thought of that as an aesthetic I would ever like on me, but I do think it works. It's nice to expand my own perceptions a little bit. I'm not saying you're going to start seeing delicate pastel ditsy florals here or anything, mind. 

This is a really easy thing to throw on when I need to look presentable. Work, dinner, visits to relatives, when I'm hosting a garden party (which I may end up actually doing now, even though I'm sure I don't want to). Thumbs up for the dress, the pattern, and finally using this bloody fabric. Three thumbs! 

But this still happens when you get hit by a gust of wind. Oh, how I love you, lycra shorts.