I am soooo happy with the dress I am making from Simplicity 3559, I am thinking of whipping up another one out of some fabric that has been in my stash for ages.
I love this fabric! It makes me happy just looking at the picture 🙂 I really should sew it up. (For the record, the darker bits are shadows of palm fronds, not colour changes in the fabric.)
I originally bought the fabric for the dress version of the pictured pink tunic:
But I notice both dresses have quite similar lines – albeit a completely different neck, and pattern piece shape – to the Simplicity 3559 I have been making, that looks so nice on me.
So, my question is, do I want the neckline on the Project Runway dress enough to make that pattern up? Or do I like the nice fitting, sillouette and easy-to-sew-uppedness of a pattern I have already sewed?
Big question.
Ok, so looking at some of the reviews of the project runway pattern on patternreview.com, the looks I like best are those done in a single plain colour with contrast piping. Though the boldly patterned ones, like Raindrops and Bellyflops’ version, appeals too. Hmmm… (that blog post of Raindrops and Bellyflops is worth a read just for the great description of dressing for her town, which I think is Cairns, in northern Qld. No wonder there is so much to-ing and fro-ing of people between Cairns and here, sounds so similar!)
Moving on from that important question, I have been cruising the sewing world online, which I often do when I am ill (throat infection – ick) as it is so comforting somehow (all that eye candy!). A few things caught my eye…
Speaking of dressing for this climate, this dress from Burdastyle makes me think of the Build-up – in a good way. As in, I think in this dress would help bear all that heat and humidity. Ooooh! I just remembered, I have some delicious chambray in my stash. Mmmm!
Look at the technical drawing. It barely seems worth spending $6 on the pattern then sticking all the A4 pieces together, or the $16 for the Burda Mag – when the local newsagency finally gets it in. I could surely adapt a simple pattern I have already.
Also from Burdastyle, I just want this entire outfit.
Ooh, almost forgot. Here is an old version of this pattern number I found when perusing the interwebs. What a beautiful dress. I love the collar and cuffs, and the lovely V in the bodice back. Click on the piccie to take you to the site, if you want.
Tropical Threads 
I think that fabric is beautiful first of all. But I think it might be to big of a print for you for an entire dress. I’d do some goucho’s or pant of some kind and a solid top. Your so petite I think the large print will swallow you up.
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Ooh, good point about the pattern size. I think the one on the current green paisley dress I am making, is about as big as that dress can take. I actually think though, the pattern is smaller than it looks in the photo. I need to get the fabric out and check the size and take it into account.
Hey I’ve always wanted a pair of gauchos! Sadly don’t have a pattern. Could need to buy one… ;-P
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You know I LOVE paislies of ANY kind…wonderful!
🙂
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Haha, I know! Isn’t it beautiful? No wonder I just HAVE to make it up 🙂
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I love the blue in that fabric, it makes my heart sing. It is hard to tell if the pattern is too large. I think it would be OK. Alternatively I’m pretty sure it would be OK for the simple style of that Burda garment, which I’m sure you wouldn’t need to buy the pattern for. The Runway Project and the other Simplicity pattern are both nice, but I think the neck of the RP might be fiddly to do. Not a lot to choose between them really.
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Yes, I know what you mean. I love it too. I also love the green, and the interplay between the two. If I do make that dress up in the Simplicity pattern I am already making, I will need to find the perfect contrast fabric for it. Not sure if I will be able to though as I already tried at one point, for the piping for the RP one.
I thought there isn’t much to choose between them either. Glad you think so too. I do like the neckline and the raglan sleeves, but as you say, fiddly. On patternreview people had quite mixed reviews about the difficulty of this pattern.
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As you have already noted the RP pattern seems to look best in a plain fabric.
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Yup. Also got a plain, bright pink in my stash, enough for a top. Could be just the thing to make the RP pattern from. Thinking… Thinking…
🙂
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Thanks for the lovely comment about my dress. It is funny how people tend to move between Cairns and Darwin. I was speaking to a lady at a party recently and according to her, you could also add Broome to that list for the same reason. Apparently, there’s a lot of movement between all three cities/towns. Maybe people find staying within the same climate comforting.
Anyhow, back to sewing. I think you could definitely make up 2927 in the fabric shown here. If you’re after a contrasting (or matching) fabric for the piping I’d definitely go to the largest quilting shop you can find. They have every colour under the sun and because it will be used over such a small area, I don’t think using quilting fabric is an issue. In fact, your piping will mostly likely be more robust, which is a good thing!
I think the sleeved version of 2927 is not too different to 3599, however I am a mega fan of a good princess seam. I seem to have more success with fit. The sleeveless version, however, offers a very different look, so I think you need to decide which look you are after.
Then it all just comes down to time and headspace. Are you up for the challenge of a new pattern or in the mood for a ‘tried and true’ pattern? Only you can answer that! Let’s face it though, you have to use the 2927 pattern sometime…just to get you money’s worth!
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