Pretty Poppy Dress

Another project from 'Sew What You Love'!  And, again, it is a success.  This project is the Chloe Strapless dress.

I see other women wearing strapless dresses, but I've only tried them sporadically.  Maybe it's my mother mindset - the best clothes are practical clothes.  And while this is still true for my son - I think my daughter and I are at the point where we can indulge a little.  Regardless, I'm going to be constantly making up excuses to wear this dress this summer - I absolutely love the fit and drape of it.  I bought this fabric from Joann last summer, and couldn't figure out what to make with it.  I knew that I wanted a skirt or dress of some sort, but I didn't know what pattern to use.

Now, the trickiest part of this pattern is the shirring with elastic thread in the back, but I think that with the book's helpful hints, most folks will be able to manage without difficulty.  The shirring is especially rewarding because it helps the dress to fit really well.

Rather than providing you with a pattern piece for the garment facing, the book has you trace the upper contour of the assembled bodice.  I especially like this - the technique makes it so much easier to assemble everything.  The facing will match perfectly!  Also, there are  fewer pattern pieces to trace and cut, which is always great.

I'm already thinking of ways to modify this dress.  Wouldn't it look great with a tiered skirt of contrasting fabrics?  Oh, so many projects, so little time.