Do you remember that song Seal put out ages ago? I have no idea what point he was trying to get at, but the poetry is kind of catchy:
“I compare you to a kiss from a rose on the gray.
Ooh,
The more I get of you,
The stranger it feels, yeah.
And now that your rose is in bloom.
A light hits the gloom on the gray.”
Seriously… no idea what he was getting at, but the song has stuck in my head for years, and was absolutely the first thing I thought of when I saw the fabric that I made this dress from:
It’s a silky print of abstract roses over splotches of gray. Kind of water color-ish, but more abstract color play than actual flowers. I really, really love it.
The pattern is Simplicity 1810 with zero alterations except for length. I added a couple inches to make a nice, deep hem – necessary on a fabric this light to keep it where it belongs. There’s a couple things I may change if I make it again – mainly the placement of the sashes – but not much. The pattern was only ok; not earth shattering “I have to make it again now!”, not hated by any means. The dress wore really well to church this morning, too.
There’s a little too much fabric in the back for my figure so I actually had to change the way it wraps. The sashes attach at back darts. You’re supposed to pull them from there around to the front and then to the back. For me, this sat too low, making the top too blousey and making me look way heavier than I am – not good! So instead, I criss-crossed the straps across the back before pulling them around, essentially making a big pleat in the back. This is a much trimmer look for me and keeps the side seams where they belong instead of tugging them to the front. And this crazy fabric hides it all so you can’t see anything but abstract colors blending all over the place! I doubt it would look this good from a solid fabric.
I’m glad I made this – I love the fabric and I love the adjustability of the tie waist. And now I need to put it away for a few days to get a different song stuck in my head!
Gabi Sunshine 