There’s nothing better for summer than wearing a comfortable dress, made out of a cotton fabric. Not only is it perfect to stay cool, but the sewing process is so rewarding! Cotton fabrics such as a poplin or a lawn are a dream to work with. They always press so beautifully, they sew up quickly and generally, a cotton does what you tell it to do!
That’s why I was so delighted to try out this stunning palm leaf poplin from Lamazi Fabrics and create not one, but two summer dresses out of it: a Stevie dress by Tilly and the Buttons and my very own pattern, the Lisa dress.
It all started with the Stevie. You see, last summer I was slightly obsessed with this pattern. I made 4 versions (3 dresses and 1 top) and they had all been worn a lot over the hot season we’ve had. So naturally, this year I wanted to add at least one more to my wardrobe.
The reason why I love this pattern so much is because it is super easy to sew. In fact, the most time-consuming part of the entire garment is probably the back ties, which always take me forever to turn right side out, because I don’t own a loop turner. Other than that, everything is very, very straightforward and if you know what you’re doing, you can whip it up in a couple of hours.
Apart from the fact that it is a speedy make, the Stevie is also perfect to showcase your fabric. It doesn’t have many seams -not even bust darts- which means that the pattern on your fabric won’t get interrupted too much. The yoke on the back is also ideal for playing around with combinations, like cutting it out from a different fabric, color blocking or changing the direction of the print, if you are using stripes or gingham.
Another plus of this pattern is that it doesn’t required too much fabric. Which meant that I was able to get not one, but two garments out of the fabric I had (well, with some creative pattern tetris, haha!). The fact that the print wasn’t directional certainly helped, so I managed to squeeze out a Lisa dress!
The Lisa dress is one of my own patterns and it’s my go-to summer dress this year. Since starting work in an office, I’ve been looking for these elegant, yet comfortable dresses to wear every day. Stevie might be a bit too short for a workplace, but Lisa is simply wonderful! The soft V-neckline reveals the appropriate amount of cleavage to stay modest, while the sleeveless bodice means you get to stay cool during the unbearably hot weather we’ve been having. The A-line skirt is just the perfect style for every day: not too formal, but stylish at the same time.
I chose to add the little ties at the shoulders, a feature of the pattern that I really like. These ties are removable, so you can leave them out whenever you feel like it. The best thing about them though is that they are perfect to keep your bra straps in place. What I do is I tie them while catching my bra strap underneath!
The Lisa dress is super easy to make. It also has a version for cute scalloped edge sleeves, which I woud have made if I had enough fabric. Plus, it has pockets and a tie belt! What more can you ask for?
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with both my makes with this fabric. I love the colors on me and each one has its place in my day to day life: Stevie is perfect for an evening walk by the lake, while Lisa is ideal for the office.
If you’d like to try these patterns out yourselves, don’t wait any longer! Check out the gorgeous cottons that Lamazi Fabrics stock and get cracking! You will not regret making them. And if you need any help, I have video sewalongs for both the Stevie dress (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXGwVuIsPII&t=1482s) and the Lisa dress (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gFBlEWLkS2o&t=43s) on my YouTube channel, where I am showing you how to make them step-by-step.
Happy sewing,
Athina