Summery Dresses and Two Toppers

 I started this year with the intention of sewing all my clothing and documenting the process here. I've managed to sew quite a bit but the documenting has fallen by the wayside due to illness and a temporary full time teaching job. Perhaps I can play catch up. 

The dress above is Simplicity 2938. I've made it several times as a top and now twice as a dress (the other is in navy linen, barely seen in the photo below).

photo taken at a restaurant in Mexico

 
What I like about the pattern is the pleating at the neckline and the seams that angle slightly outwards and downwards from it, creating a princess seam.

With both dresses I added a full lining rather than the facings, and an invisible zipper in the back. For the aqua dress, also in linen, I used this tutorial from Coletterie to finish the armholes. That's a trick I'm planning to use from now on - no more leaving the shoulder seams open and fussing over matching them perfectly.

In the restaurant photo I'm wearing a kimono jacket/shawl/shrug that I created from a piece of wildly printed silk chiffon. There are many tutorials on line and I combined a couple of them for the look I wanted. I hemmed it by hand, using this rolled hem technique by Ami Simms. I really enjoyed the way the hem magically rolled over and I'm planning to use this technique more in the future.

So, the reason for this second dress in the same pattern is that I joined Pattern Review's Travel Wardrobe Sewing Challenge. I won't be wearing this dress until May or June at the earliest, and even then I'll want another layer close by. 

The cardigan is Butterick 5528, made from a medium weight ponte. I'm not very pleased with the way the front hangs - I think it needs more weight.