Wednesday 5 July 2017

Summer shift: New Look 6145

Hello Friends. Summer is in full swing, lots of hot days, often too hot to want to wear very much. So, a new breezy summer dress was required.

Disappointingly, when I first made this dress I was underwhelmed and felt it was a little "meh". I didn't even instagram it for that very reason! How very unlike me. However, I have since worn it lots and it has risen considerably in my estimations. It's easy to wear, and easy to wash. It's perfectly loose and breezy on super hot days, and best of all I have had lots of real-life compliments on this. I can say now that I put it on and love it. Do you ever have makes you have grown to love?

A bit crumpled, but I have been wearing it all day.

I bought some lovely Koi carp linen from Ditto fabrics at one of their splendid open days. The Ditto warehouse is an Aladdin's cave, full of fabric gems.  I went not wanting to buy very much and typically came out with bagfuls!  But, in my defence, I have used most of it, or at least cut it up ready to sew.


I only bought a metre, which in hindsight was foolish as it restricted what I could make. I think originally I was thinking skirt, but I am glad I went for a shift as there is nothing tight around the middle in the heat.


For the pattern I went with New Look 6145 used before here. It has diamond darts on the back for subtle shaping and long side darts at the front that look rather elegant.

No pattern matching here!

Having made the pattern previously I was happy with the loose shape, though I did make it an inch longer for modesty's sake.  I also omitted the kick pleat, as it is not necessary due to the loose nature of it.


This version has a little gaping at the front neckline, which I did not get in my previous dress.  Could the weight of the sleeves have pulled the dress down better? It's not too bad, though, and it won't stop me wearing it.  Annoying, though, because I cut out another sleeveless dress alongside this, and now I know that the neckline won't be as great on that other one either; this would-be-dress is currently at the bottom of my ready-to-sew pile for that very reason.

Do you cut out projects en masse? It is currently my preferred method of working.  If I have an urge to sew I pick up a project folder and I am ready to go. I think this will be particularly useful when I start uni! It's the cutting out that I find takes the most time and organisation. How about you?

6 comments:

  1. Looks like a lovely easy-to-wear summer dress Louise! I tend to cut one project at a time and finish it before I start the next, otherwise I find I get overwhelmed by wanting to sew all the things!

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  2. Louise we are developing the same sewing habits! I cut on masse, I have made a dress with that fabric which was going to be a skirt and I always try and get rid of kick pleats in simple garments! I can't see the neckline issue from here but I guess we all need to stay stitch our necklines ASAP after cutting. (boring) Jo x

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  3. Shifts are the best sort of style for summer, believe you me! And there is nothing wrong with this at all - it's very pretty. Sometimes it takes me a while to warm up to a garment too! Uni can't be far off now, I'm sure you will find it quite a challenge, so just as well to have some simple sews ready.

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  4. That is lovely fabric and looks great on you - we had that fabric in store a while back in a different colourway and it was a great dressmaking fabric (sold out fast). I tend to work on one project at a time - I'm just not that organised to do it any other way.

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  5. Thid is stunning! I love the fabric, it really suits you.

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  6. A fab dress Louise! I love the fabric and the fit works really well for you.
    I too cut a whole bunch of projects en masse and pop them in separate bags with corresponding thread / zips etc ready for when I get a chance to get my sewing machine out.

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