Today’s make feels like the perfect way to kick off the summer season. Because really this dress is all about the color. And if a super bright orange doesn’t say “Yay it’s summer!” then I don’t know what does. I really love the bright color of this dress and of course I also love the boxy silhouette.
The fabric is something that I picked up from a bargain bin in the downtown LA fashion district a long time ago. It’s very, very lightweight with a little bit of texture to it. It’s almost too lightweight for a dress but I threw caution to the wind.
This dress is made using the Tacara dress pattern from Seamwork magazine. If you’re not familiar with Seamwork, it’s a monthly online magazine and now also a sewing community. I always look forward to the first of every month because it means a new issue of Seamwork and two new patterns will be released. This dress has a very boxy cocoon shape that is similar to my Lou Box Dress 1 pattern. The big difference is that it is very fitted elbow length (or according to the pattern it’s 3/4 length) sleeves. I really love the contrast in proportions from the oversized body to the fitted sleeves. I also really like the center back seam. It’s a nice detail on an otherwise very simple garment.
I made a size 8. My measurements (38.5" bust, 28.5" waist, 39.5" hips) put me between a size 8 and a size 10 but because this pattern has such generous ease, I felt confident going with the smaller size. I also added 5” to the length of the body because I’m 5’11” and it hits perfectly at my knee. To determine how much length to add, I think I just held the pattern up to my body along with a tape measure and looked in the mirror. When adding length, I don’t think there’s a cut and dry number formula because our bodies all have different proportions. For example, my thighs are a little longer than my shins so I need to add more length to get to my knees. Other people might have the same inseam that I do but have longer shins so a knee length dress could be shorter for them. I did not alter the length of the sleeves which is probably why they sit a little more on my elbow than the middle of my forearm.
I mostly followed the instructions in the pattern but did a couple things my own way. The method of doing the pockets seemed overly complicated and I was looking for a quick and easy sew so I used this method from my Lou Box Dress sewalong. I suspect that the method in the instructions would make the pockets less visible. I just wasn’t feeling up for it. For the neckline, I just did my usual knit neckband technique (which I have a video about here).
I really love how this dress turned out. I think it will be perfect for summer. The lightweight fabric and oversized nature will be great on super hot days. I’ve already worn it a couple of times and it’s not surprisingly super comfortable. And that color just makes it feel super fun and special.
