I don’t think I’ll ever tire of wearing indigo. I just love this color! I’ve made myself two more self drafted bias cut tube dresses. The first in the indigo seen here and a shorter version in a black and white mini stripe. Designing and sewing my own patterns is so enjoyable.
Organic Cottons Plus sent me my choice of fabric for review and I went with these two organic cotton voiles I’ve had my eye on for a while. I shop here regularly for organic and sustainable fabrics and love the transparency of this company’s sourcing. Be sure to check out their Peace Silks too- the colors are just AMAZING!
I went with the voile for this project for two reasons:
- I wanted to explore layering with the slightly sheer fabric
- I wanted a lightweight casual silhouette for the summer.
fabrics used:
(* I received these fabrics free in exchange for an honest review)
- 2 yds. Organic Cotton Voile, Indigo 56″, 2.6 oz.
- 2 yds. Organic Cotton Voile, Black and White Mini Stripe, 2.5oz.
- Bias Binding cut from both fabrics
This fabric is just slightly sheer making it require lining or a slip. The weave is lovely and the fabric has a great hand. Easy to sew and work with. I loved the selvedge edges on these fabrics so I decided to incorporate that into the design. I lined up my pattern to the selvedge and then sewed my bias long seam with a french seam leaving the selvedge to show through. I love how this really brings your eye around the seam.
I’m really loving this pattern. You can see my last bias dresses here. For this version of my bias dresses I altered the patterns fit slightly and changed the neckline. I also finished these dresses with bias binding on the neck and arm. I cut the dresses at two different lengths, the indigo is approx. 42″ from the underarm and the shorter version is 33″. Because of the width of my fabric (56″) and the fact that I was keeping the selvedge intact it was necessary to add an additional seam on the side. I cut that side seam to match up perfectly (under the armhole) and used a french seam. It’s hardly visible since your eye goes straight to the bias seam. I finished both edges by serging and then doing a small hem.
Here are my fabric cutting images so you can get an idea of how the bias shape is cut out:
For some reason the mini stripe dress came out slightly boxier then my indigo version. It may just be the lighter color though and the shortened length. I could only take in the seams so much without messing up the fit so I decided to make a self tie matching belt in both colors to cinch in the waist. I cut the neck and armholes slightly wider to show off the blue dress underneath. I love how this ties the dresses together. I made the long belt reversible so I could tie it many ways.
I really like the dresses layered together. I’m planning on making a few more to mix and match. I just love this silhouette. Plus these hardly wrinkle at all after ironing so they look great all day.
I think the shape is so flattering and the color of this indigo is just perfect for me. I need more of this shade in my wardrobe!
Hope you’re all enjoying your summer! I’ve got both kids home and we’re having a blast exploring the neighborhood parks and beaches. This will be * fingers crossed * our last summer here before we more so we’re really taking advantage of seeing everything our town has to offer.
This is a perfect shape for you. And I can attest that after wearing the dress all day there were no wrinkles. I was amazed. Great fabric and color! Suits you to a T!
Thanks Mom! I LOVE these dresses-isn’t the color fab! You’ll be seeing more in the future :)
The voile is beautiful and there are many fabrics I would love to buy from Organic Cottons Plus. Unfortunately their shipping cost (I live in Canada) is significantly more expensive than other US fabric sources. For 2 yards of the voile, they charge $34 for shipping whereas Drygoods Design (as an example) charge $13 shipping for a similar organic voile. It’s hard to justify paying more for shipping than the fabric itself.
Btw, thank you so very much for blogging. I also sew with the goal of minimizing my ecological footprint and it is wonderful to learn from other folks like you who are also doing so!
Thanks Tris! I usually don’t order internationally for the same reason as it does add up quite quickly. But their selection is amazing!
Thank you for the compliments! I’m so happy to share what I’m learning to keep my sewing as eco friendly as possible. :)
What a clever and elegant dress. It looks lovely layered too and I agree indigo is such a good colour.
Thanks so much Barbara! I love how versatile these dresses are + I can’t have too much indigo. :)
The shape of this suits you so well and that blue colour is just gorgeous! I bet the voile feels lovely to wear too.
Thanks Kathryn! I do love that this is so comfortable but still elegant. :)