Vogue 9237 :: Double linen, double gingham
Happy 2018 friends! I hope the new one has started out in just the right way for you. We were going to start the blogging year off with a new pattern but I’m sneaking in this one first because deadlines and summer holidays are really not the best-est of friends. This project, on the other hand, was hatched late last year when a lunch break had me flicking through a pattern catalogue and I came across Vogue 9237 and, more specifically, view A.
It very much reminded me of this Yasmin Sewell pic that I pinned forever ago which, at the time, led me to discover this Roksanda Fuji mini dress. Cute AND similar, yes?
As it turned out, the pattern was the easy choice in this project because when it came to deciding on the fabric, I gave a spectacular gold medal performance in mind-changing. I wavered between plain and then colour blocking and then stripes and even this slightly more formal looking french spot jacquard. In the end, day-to-day wash and wearability won out and I went with two complimentary linens – Dinnertime Check for the front and ruffle and The Bigger Check for the back.
After deciding on both pattern and (eventually) fabric, I did the requisite social media research binge and found only a few reviews and just a handful of images over on Instagram. There was some mention of the armscye being quite small and the neckline looked pretty high so I decided to practice that thing that we often preach – making a toile. In this case, that turned out to be a very good thing. Also, an EVEN BETTER good thing? Silva was in Melbourne at the time so she helped me modify the pattern, lowering the armhole and neckline and adjusting the shoulder to give more of a cutaway line.
The dress has a centre back seam which I eliminated, cutting the back piece on the fold and creating a keyhole opening like the one on our Ruby pattern. To give symmetry with the gingham, I cut the facing as a rectangle and stitched it down. The bindings are all self made using the smaller gingham check.
Oh, and special mention goes to the pockets. The pattern has them perfectly positioned.
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Perfect. The cutaway armhole really works well with this design because of the high neckline. The fabric choice is great, worth the agonising:)
Thanks Rebecca x
I was lucky enough to have a sneak preview of your photos yesterday in the Chatswood store and bought the same fabric and pattern! It looks fabulous Lisa!
Also plan to make a black and white version like the Roksanda Fuji mini dress using Hartford linen.
Can you please tell me which size you made?
Thank you
Sandra
Thanks Sandra! I cut an XS. There’s a fair bit of ease in this pattern.
stunning – brilliant choice of fabrics – and a perfect dress.
Thank you! x
I love it! I think I will order the large check fro the front and the small check as the back – thanks so much for the wonderful inspiration xxx
I love this light cotton shift – nothing is better for hot weather than a cotton shift dress and the mix of those 2 different checks was brilliant. I also love the cut-away sleeves with the high neckline. Gorgeous! I couldn’t agree with you more that a practice run is ALWAYS worth the effort. For fit, for planning the types of seams or embellishments you might like to do – for all sorts of reasons I’ve never regretted making one – but I’ve certainly regretted NOT making one 🙂
Wow! This is stunning. It looks amazing, I absolutely love the fabric.
I love that dress, I don’t think I have a dress in my wardrobe, I’m on the larger size I think this might be a go, I’ll ask Rhona. I could see it in a larger floral and similar smaller print on me.
Thanks…you are a genius…great pattern.
I love love love this dress! I have this gorgeous neon dots Nani Iro fabric lying around, but couldn’t decide on what to make! This is it! So I’m definitely going to buy the Ruby dress and shamelessly copy this make! Thank you for the inspiration!