Covid did it again.
I created this DIY holiday look weeks ago. I was so excited to have completed a party dress early so that there would be no last minute sewing, seemingly a tradition among us sewists. Welp, Omicron squashed all of that. More pandemic stress and concerns, but not wearing this dress is the least of my worries. I’m prayerful and have faith that 2022 will be better because we’ll all be a bit wiser on how to deal with a pandemic…and I am dedicated to better self-care. But, on to the dress…
This pattern is from a German indie fashion and pattern designer Katrin Possberg, aka @thisiskachi. I came across some of her patterns on Etsy and immediately fell in-love with this “Delilah” dress. Anything feminine with ruffles, a wrap front and you’ve got me.
I used a gorgeous kelly green silk charmeuse #gifted from Fabric Wholesale Direct. Sewing with 100% silk is such a different experience. Despite its soft drape and texture, it’s sturdier than you think. As long as I used a new machine needle, it rarely snagged. I did find myself waffling between whether to use an even-feed foot or not while sewing. Fraying was minimal at best, but I serged my seam allowances all the same to keep the inside tidy.
As for the pattern, I always have trepidation about using indie pattern designers I’m not familiar with. I have a healthy respect for proper drafting and instructions, so when they are superior or subpar, I take note.
The design of the dress is well done and the construction isn’t too challenging. I did, of course, detour from the instructions. Rather than using a facing for the wrap front, I added a full lining. I also completely redrafted the sleeves to remove some of the fullness and length. Without doing so, the silk would have looked like curtains as opposed to sleeves. For the cuff closures, rather than buttonholes on this delicate fabric, I sewed pearl buttons on the cuffs, but hidden snaps do the actual closure.
It was also helpful that Katrin has a robust Youtube channel and a full video showing her drafting and construction process. Watching her craft the pattern was insightful. She makes it seem so easy!
Final analysis, I loveee this dress! It’s that kind of on-trend look that’s classic enough that I can easily hold onto it for next year. I’ve also been holding onto these Steve Madden “Vala” spiked heels for a solid year and they’ll be making an appearance too.
Well, onto the next look!
Leave a Reply