Asymmetric Coco

Same fabric as my last make, but a very different dress. This is Tilly and the Buttons' "Coco" and is made using that fabulous border print jersey from fabricland. I'd originally bought 2.5 metres, and that was more than enough for two fab makes.

Even though the fabric is quite striking in its own right, I feel the finished makes are very different in style and tone; this feels more adult, and I feel rather glamorous in it.

I decided to go for the basic Coco shape without the funnel neck, and although I cut out the pockets, I decided against adding them as the finished dress seems so sleek and chic without them

Construction-wise, this is really simple - three pattern pieces only! And as I had made it before, it came together in a matter of hours! Result.

I really like the pattern motif down the side; this dress makes a big statement.  Everywhere I have worn this, I've had so many compliments.  It's easy to wear, wash and care for.

Wearing this feels like a dressy garment rather than casual; my other dress with the self-same fabric feels very every-day.  Perhaps this is because this one is more fitted and figure hugging.

 I did grade out a little from my last Coco. 

This is a pattern I feel I could make again if I come across an interesting piece of double knit.  So I shall keep my eyes open.

The Neglected Coco

I purchased Tilly's Coco pattern, eagerly cut out the pieces, sewed quickly, almost finished... then stopped!

I wanted to take part in OWOP2014 so that took priority at first. I had to quickly knock out an extra skirt for the challenge, so shoved the half-finished Coco to one side, and it hung there on the mannequin looking forlorn.  No point finishing it, though, if I couldn't wear it for a week.

Okay, so I'll finish the following week... No I won't, as all five of us in the family come down with the awful noro virus!  Yuck!

Okay, so I'll finish the week after...  No I won't, as darling daughter comes down with "Slapped Cheek" and I catch the accompanying fever and cold!

And after that?...  No, by then my birthday has been and gone, I've got a bad case of the miseries over getting another year older, and I don't feel like sewing!

This is ridiculous: get a grip Louise! It will only take about 20 minutes to finish. I'm going to do it now, photo and post today no putting it off any longer.

[About 24 hours and 20 minutes later...]

Did it! Phew. Sadly the light had gone by the time I completed it, so I had to wait until this morning for photos.

 So this is, I suppose, my longest make to date! Ironically, it was really straightforward.

The fabric is a sturdy double-knit jersey with a mock knitted design in grey and black.  The photos do not really capture the design very well.  It was a bugger to photograph and darling Hubbie (the blog's official photographer) took three lots of pictures before we gave up and said they'll do.

I went for the version with the funnel neck which I really like. I didn't realise it would be so easy. It was literally fold the collar in half and sew to neckline. Even I can do that.

The collar does give the dress a nice sixties vibe and I am happy with the look of it.

Size-wise I feel this is a little tight. If I made another, I would keep the neck, shoulders and armholes the same, and grade out a size for the dress section.

I have another piece of double knit which would look nice as a coco, but it has a printed border along the selvedge.  Would it be okay to cut it, so that the patterned selvedge becomes the hem. Or would being off-grain destroy the shape?