Let me tell you the story of this dress, imagined in the heart of winter … and born in a summer heatwave.

Everything started on December 31st: we spent the evening in family, in front of Grease, waiting for midnight. And during the movie, I saw an extra lady with a strapless dress, buttoned all over the front. Between 2 cups of champagne, I grabbed my agenda and quickly scribbled a sketch … adding the idea to my summer to-do list … long as a day without bread.

(This isn’t the sketch scribbled on New Year’s Eve. Tipsy my drawings aren’t so neat ! 😀 )

After the Beatrice dress, I really wanted to sew something easy. I then thought of this project … forgetting that in comfort zone, I’m often less attentive to possible blunders.

Regarding the pattern, I took the Whitney dress bodice, splitting the front bodice in two and creating a buttoning. For the skirt, Sandrine dress one would be perfect.

Regarding the finishing, I told myself that a facing would still be the best option. All seams would be French one, except those princess cuts front: as they are quite curved, notching is necessary. I then voluntarily traced a facing that would encompass these two seams. Neither seen nor known: thus hidden, I would not have to bother with their finish.

And because I can’t resist to flowers … I offered myself this bias from “la Droguerie”. While their biases are expensive, but so flexible.

Alas … I got lost on the question of interlining. I naively thought that it wasn’t necessary to stabilize my neckline, nor to interface the location of my buttonholes, since my facing was interfaced. But it was to forget that an outer fabric has its own life, apart from its facing … and that the neckline, believe me, didn’t wait for my permission to relax.

Do you see the problem? Plunging view of my boobs, guaranteed and without special effects. It was therefore necessary to find a solution. I first reduced the length of the straps, but that didn’t change the problem. I then thought of the trick of the clear elastic (told here): it worked greatly, indeed … but it gathered the top of my bodice, and I found it really ugly. I confess that at this moment, the appeal of the trash was very strong.

And then I said to myself … and if I reduced the top of the princess cut by 1 cm, while shifting my strap a bit … would it work?

And it worked !

Note that now it’s the princess cut that gathers a little, but frankly, I prefer it rather than a dress in “open-bar” mode. 😀

What more can I say about this little dress? It’s made with the scraps of the chambray used for Juliette’s costume. (And I managed to cut a shirt for Paul in the ultimate scraps!) The buttons are olive ones and come from “la Droguerie”.

(Hot at home too?)

Verdict: Being totally honest with you, reducing the length of the straps wasn’t my brightest idea. The dress is too high under the armpits and it is not very pleasant. Visually, the waist line being too high, this is not ultra flattering either. And my choice of finish is not wise: with hindsight, it would have been better to opt for a lining on the bodice and a facing for the buttoning of the skirt. BUT, I still find this dress very cute. With a bit of luck I still have enough fabric to cut new straps ? I’m going to go dig it and I’ll let ya. 😉

I wish you a beautiful week, for us it has a special flavor: we leave Saturday for 2 weeks in the Dordogne, and we cannot wait! The days before departures are often the most delicious don’t you find ? Courage to those who are back from holidays, courage to those who don’t have any holiday this year, and happy holidays to the lucky ones who take off soon! And take good care of yourself. 😉