Making Seperates: My Secret Dress!

I finally got my hands on this most beautiful fabric, the Atelier Brunette Stardust Double Gauze.  I have been drooling over it for months and couldn’t afford to buy any, but then I was given the opportunity to join the Minerva Crafts Blogger Network and what was the first fabric I asked for? This OF COURSE!

It is basically my perfect fabric, made from natural fibres (it’s cotton double gauze) with some beautiful details (ahem, gold embroidery!!) and obviously comes in blue and has polka dots. Yep, never has a more perfect fabric been made! I wanted to get the absolute most wear out of this possible. There is no way I am letting this fabric sit in my wardrobe unworn, I am going to wear this until my seams fall apart, and then I will make it again!

I can’t tell you too much on here as my fabric and pattern was kindly provided to me by Minerva Crafts so you will have to head over there for the full scoop. But I wanted to talk on here a bit more about the FREE pattern I used for the skirt.

It’s the Elbe Textiles Lawley Skirt and it’s available to download as a PDF for free on their website. I was looking for a skirt pattern with an elasticated waist so that I could be sure the skirt would fit me for a long time throughout any potential weight fluctuations. This pattern popped up on my Instagram feed and I was hugely impressed – as well as the elastic waist it has nice big pockets which have lovely bound edges (such a nice detail!) and a nice deep hem.

I was very impressed with the drafting, the pattern went together with no problems and fit me perfectly with no alterations. Of course I couldn’t leave the pattern alone and I added the self-fabric belt and belt loops, easy to do but not included in the pattern.

I wore the ‘secret dress’ to Sew Up North and was asked loads of times about the patterns, no one I spoke to had heard of Elbe Textiles but I based on this pattern I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to my fellow sewists! As well as some lovely ladies patterns there are some interesting mens designs and I hear rumors of some zero waste patterns in the works – so Elbe are definitely ones to watch! I can definitely see myself making more of these skirts as they are such a great wardrobe basic and a perfect canvas to display a beautiful fabric.

As as side note, I’ve just added this pattern to my HUGE list of free patterns which will be getting a big update in the new year! Exciting!