Laneway Dress

Jennifer Lauren Handmade has a lovely vintage vibe, and she's done it again with the Laneway Dress.

So many lovely features:

Contrast offset 'collar', 

Bust pleats (I think the correct term may be open ended darts, but that doesn't sound as much fun),

beautiful finish to the back.

pockets, and ease of wearing (you can still 'do stuff' wearing this dress).

The pattern has cup sizes to help with a good fit. The style is flattering for my pear shape. I didn't need to make any adjustments between sizes. This is a straight size 12.

I sewed up a version with an asymmetrical collar. But the pattern includes options for a centred collar, and no collar.

The fabric I chose is a very comfortable flannelette, with quilters cotton for the contrast.  The extra warmth of the flannelette means I've been able to wear this dress paired with tights and a cardigan, and not worry about getting cold as winter starts to show itself.  No doubt I will have a version in cotton for summer.

The pockets are very handy (who doesn't love a dress with pockets). And the way that they're inserted is just beautiful - they sit nice and flat with no worries that they'll pop out.

The biggest impression I had when sewing this pattern was that the notches on the bodice PERFECTLY matched those on the skirt when attaching the two.  I know I'm not always the most exact sewer, and have been known to fudge a notch or two before, but this was just amazing!  And I do like a few notches on my garments - just so I know where things are meant to be. It seems like extra work at the time, but is so worth it when you're sewing.

The dress is done up with an invisible zip at the back. There's enough wriggle room for me to do up and undo the zip all by myself. Which is always good for someone like me without flexible shoulders.

All up I'm a big fan I love the silhouette, the pockets and the feature collar. A relatively simple sew with lots of impact - always a win in my books.

The pattern is available for download in the  Jennifer Lauren Handmade store.
Details here and purchasing here.