A pair of Celestial Dresses

As I promised at the start of the year I've tried to be brave and step out from behind the camera and show some of the sewing I have done for myself.  First up is the Celestial Dress pattern from Pattern Fantastique.

This was such an impulse buy!  I saw it for sale one day on Kollabora and took a risk.  I'm so glad I did.  It is a very quick sew with no buttons, zips or elastic.  It comes in four different lengths; maxi, midi, mini and micro mini/tunic.  Be warned though the maxi length will only fit on wide width fabrics! The instructions are very straightforward and there is a lovely top-stitching feature on the pockets and neckline.  I think I'd love to make a plain version with some contrast stitching to highlight this feature.

Little Miss just had to be involved...

This dress is unlike anything I have ever bought or made or wore for myself ever!  It has very distinctive sleeves which are folded over so no sleeve hems :)  It has a quite pronounced a-line shape but there are no darts or shaping.  Most of the dresses I have made have been more typical fit and flare style so I was a little worried this may look like a bit of a tent on me.

The first I made was out of this bold sateen print from Spotlight.  I think this dress pattern really suits a nice bold fabric and this seemed the best on the shelf.  I knew I wanted to make a maxi version first so my choice were limited on the width.

I think it turned out nicely.  The hem dips slightly in the back but the length is perfect for me.  I was pretty pleased with the print matching I did on the yoke too, although I focused there so much I completely forgot to match the side seams!

After making the first dress and loving it I decided to try a midi version.  I'd bought three metres of this fabric when it was on sale on a bit of a whim and it has worked nicely.  This is a standard quilting cotton and I managed to cut the dress out comfortably.  I made the size down in the one as I felt the maxi was a little gapey round the shoulders and back, although still wearable.

I think I like this length even better than the maxi.  It works well with sandals or wedges but I think it will be fine in winter with some boots.

I'm so glad I took a risk with this pattern.  The cut and design of the dress means it just falls nicely and although it is loose it still looks great on.  I'm not sure the photos really do it justice.  I have received so many comments about the dress, even having people asking me about it a few days later!! I definitely have plans for many more, the only problem I have is how many are too many....

PS The PDF print out is a bit different from your typical pattern.  The pieces are mostly inside the skirt portion.  This didn't bother me too much as I always trace my patterns on to freezer paper and then cut them out.  I didn't trace the skirt however.  I cut out the front then trimmed the pattern piece to cut out the back.  For my next one I will need to print it out again, but it really doesn't take up many sheets of paper.