I was lucky enough to win a copy of the Dolores Batwing pattern by So Zo to review. I decided to make the dress version and went for this floral jersey, purchased in Barry’s Fabric during the SewBrum meet-up.
I made the dress up some time ago – but it’s taken me an age to blog about it because this was my third attempt to photograph the dress! I first tried to get some photos in our garden but this floral print blended into the background. I then tried to get some photos while visiting London on a trip to the Fashion & Textile Museum but managed to look excessively goofy in every shot. While on holiday last week I took the opportunity to get some more photos & it turned out third time lucky as you can see the dress in these photos and I don’t look any goofier than normal!
While staying in Brussels, me & Phil took the opportunity to catch the train to Ghent for a day trip, which is where these photos were taken. We visited on a day when the museums were closed, so I didn’t get to learn about Ghent’s history as a textile producer, but we got the chance to wander around, enjoy the views, and sit in cafes drinking Belgian beer (fruit beer for me, thanks). As a veggie, I was impressed to learn that Ghent has a meat-free day on Thursdays and supposedly, per capita, the world’s largest number of vegetarian restaurants. Pity I only had time to try one during this visit.
Back to the dress. This is such a quick make (and I’m increasingly realising that those are my favourite kind. I’m really excited by the Seamwork premise of patterns that only take a few hours to complete). The Dolores PDF only consists of 11 pages, so assembly is exceptionally pain free, and only one pattern piece is used for the front and back of the dress (or top, or tunic, as this pattern has a lot of options). I made this dress from start (printing the PDF) to finish in one afternoon and wore it out that evening. If you are a knit fabric newbie, Zoe’s instructions include detailed information on working with knits, as well as photographs of the construction process.
I cut a size 10 which, checking again now, is actually slightly smaller than my actual bust and waist measurements. As a result the dress fits fine but is clingier than some other versions I’ve seen popping up on blogs. Next time I’ll size up for a bit more ease, or, if I fancy a clingy fit, I’ll keep the same size for the body but go up one size for the sleeve pieces, which is where the dress is tightest (I’ve noticed a couple of other bloggers finding the sleeves slightly tight so you may want to double check the sleeve pieces before cutting out your fashion fabric).
So, this is another great all-rounder pattern & I’m looking forward to trying out the top version as well as a slouchier dress. I’ll leave you with a few photos of gorgeous Ghent.
