I’ve been gathering patterns and fabrics and trying to find two that suited each other so I could actually sew something. The trouble I have is that I can be a bit mean when it comes to buying fabric, or at least I love a bargain and tend to only shop on the Rag Market. I’d failed to find anything over the last couple of trips that would be suitable to sew Marcy Tilton’s Cirque Dress so ended up going mad and spending proper money on fabric on the internet.

This cotton double cloth was £10.99 a metre which while not out-of-this-world expensive, is a lot more than my usual 50p-£1 a metre bargains! But, I loved that it was double sided and I knew that I could take advantage of that with this pattern which should be renamed The Jigsaw Dress. It has 12 different pattern pieces.

So it’s not a quick sew, but step-by-step, there’s nothing tricky in there, no zips or fastenings, no darts. It’s a straightforward pull it over your head dress. The interest comes from the asymmetric panels and the curved seams. My doublecloth fabric had large checks on one side and mini checks on the other so I sometimes cut with one side on the outside, sometimes the other.

I switched between machines sewing most of the seams on the overlocker and topstitching on my sewing machine. The pattern doesn’t call for topstitching, but I like how it helps the seam allowances sit down properly, especially if I’m not ironing clothes before I fling them on in the mornings!

Size-wise the pattern seems quite generously cut and I think I could have afforded to do a smaller size, but it’s light and very comfortable to wear. It’s got in-seam pockets which I love and while this dark colour doesn’t look very summery, the weight of the fabric is fine for this time of year. I’m sure I’ll wear it in the autumn and winter too layered up with a long sleeved T-shirt and leggings or thick tights and boots. I had thought that maybe I’d need to lengthen the pattern to save anyone from seeing my knees, but no, it’s fine. The model on the pattern packet must be about 6′.

I’m loving the neckline with the stand up collar. It’s got some small horizontal pleats to help give it some shape. You can see in the photo my fabric is quite see-through, but it still stands up nicely. The pleats are the sort of detail that on a lazy day I would be tempted to leave out, but they do work. The armholes and collar are faced with the same fabric so it’s all lovely and neat on the inside.

This was a fun sew, I cut it out one evening, sewed it another, and did the finishing touches the following morning, so pretty quick to do. I’ll definitely be sewing another and am already on the lookout for more fabrics.

Hope you’re having a creative weekend too.
Love Laura

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