Monday 19 January 2015

Summer is for Maxi Dresses

It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a maxi dress ... so when Named Clothing released their latest collection 'Ritual' the Ama Cowl Neck Frock was immediately on my MUST HAVE list.

Ama Cowl Frock

I'm not a fan of an elastic waist band but the back of the dress bodice is 'killer'!  I've not seen this before in any other pattern, so the uniqueness of the design was also a big attraction for me.

Ama Cowl Frock
Ignore the bra straps that poke out from the top - they are not part of the frock!

What I didn't realise, well actually I didn't read the outline of the pattern correctly and missed that it said "Wear with the Shadi Knit Skirt", which was the indication that the skirt wasn't lined.  That would be why I couldn't find the skirt lining pieces in the box! I just assumed that it was because you just use the skirt pattern pieces for the lining as well - normal right :-)

I traced off the two skirt pieces and shortened so the lining would come just above my knee.

Ama Cowl Frock

But when I got to the instructions on attaching the bodice to the skirt I was really confused on how the casing for the elastic was created and that is because I had an extra piece of skirt lining fabric that the instructions didn't. Now the penny drops!

Anyway, fudging it included attaching the skirts to the outside layer of the bodice leaving the bottom of the bodice lining unattached.  I then folded the bodice lining seam allowance under and attached that by sewing in the ditch on the seam I just created sewing the bodice to the skirt.  I then sewed another row of stitching above that, into both layers of the bodice for the elastic casing. Gee I hope that makes sense!  All fudging is covered by a belt anyway :-)

I didn't do a muslin for this dress.  I figured that it wasn't too fitted and I could get away with fitting as I went.  Named Clothing design for a tall woman, so knowing this I didn't have to make any alterations to the length of the bodice or the skirt.  It is the perfect length when I wear with flats - I would probably only wear it with flats.

Ama Cowl Frock

I did alter the width of the hem of the skirt, reducing both the front and back by 7", making a total of 14" from the circumference of the hem.  The pattern suggests leaving the side seams open all the way to the waist if wearing a skirt underneath, but I thought that would be really weird if caught in a gust of wind (not unusual for Wellington), so I sewed the side seams closed 18" down from the waist - about in line with the lining.

Ama Cowl Frock

The shell of the dress is a poly/tencil/viscoe that I picked up from the Fabric Warehouse pop-up sale in September 2013 for just $3 per meter.  It was a breeze to sew and it's lovely to wear. The drape of the fabric is perfect for the soft cowl of the Ama.

Ama Cowl Frock

This is a really lovely dress that is super easy to wear.  I would consider making another one, shorter (to the knee), to wear to the beach.  It would be so easy to throw over the swimwear.

More photos on my Flickr -->


18 comments:

  1. Well now I can put my hand on my heart and say that this dress is stunning - so carelessly elegant and chic. It suits you perfectly in every way!

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    1. Thanks so much :-) Carelessly elegant is the perfect description and it feels exactly that way when I wear it.

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  2. That is a really fabulous use of such a lovely print, it looks fantastic!

    I have to say, I find it incredibly shady that they would say to use another pattern for a skirt lining, and not include the pattern pieces. It's not like it's a complex garment! (the skirt, I mean)

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    1. Especially in this case when the model on the pattern packaging and in their look book is clearly wearing or showing the lining. Luckily it's not a hard addition to make but you then have to kinda work out the waist bit it's confusing. But otherwise it is a great dress to make and the instructions are clear.

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  3. This is a really lovely dress! Looks so breezy and elegant. Great fabric!

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    1. Thanks :-) the fabric is really lovely and soft and luxurious feeling, which is far from the pittance I paid for it. Now wishing I had also bought the blue!

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  4. Yay I've been waiting to see what this looked like on you, and the style suits you so well! 😄 nice work with attaching the lining for the skirt - so much more "Wellington-friendly" 😜

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    1. It was such an easy make as well. The back feature was so uncomplicated for such a statement look on a dress.

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  5. This is beautiful - I absolutely love it on you! Perfect frock for summer!

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    1. Thanks Trees, it is so comfy to wear :-)

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  6. I am madly in love with your new maxi! The fabric is beautiful and so perfect for the pattern.

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    1. Thanks Gail - the end result was so much better than I imagined it would be and very cool for those hot sticky days.

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  7. I really like the back detail in this dress as well!

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    1. Thanks. I might need to go and invest in a strapless bra, by the end of the day the cross over is doing my neck in.

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  8. Gah, this is divine - and I like the co-ordinating back bra straps ;)

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    1. Thanks, and it is ever so comfortable to wear. Because of the fabric and the side slits it makes it ever so cool to wear on a hot day. The back is such a great feature :-)

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  9. Your version of this dress is amazing. So I've now bought this pattern:) You are a pattern enabler!

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    1. It is a lovely pattern - I just haven't found the right bra to wear with it! It would probably we okay with a strapless number.

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