merino dress

Here's a dress I made a few weeks ago. It's made from beautiful fine New Zealand merino wool knit.

(Do I ever take those boots off? Um yeah, when I go to bed.)
I was very pleased with this dress when I finished it and I've been really enjoying wearing it so I'm not sure why I'm feeling a little uninspired to write about it. Maybe because the thrill of having it newly finished has passed? Do you find that?
Anyhow, on with the details.
Fabric: was very reasonably priced, from this Etsy shop (as opposed to $45/m from the shop around the corner, which I really want to support, but...).
Pattern: began with the Sew U Home Stretch boatneck top, like my blue stripey one. Since the merino doesn't have a huge amount of stretch, I gave it a wee bit more room across the bust and shoulders by the incredibly un-technical move of slanting the pattern piece away from the fold of the fabric slightly at the top. I cut the neckline just a bit lower at the front. Then I added a drapey cowl-ish neck.

I measured the length of the neckline and cut a long rectangle the same length (small added seam allowance), sewed it into a circle, doubled it over and sewed it on.
I made the sleeves extra-long for winterish warmth. Edges left raw cos I can... let's call it a style thing.

Purple has to be the hardest colour to capture in photographs. This is really a very deep, dark purple, kind of like if you started with navy blue then purpled it up.
I wore the top part around for a day with a skirt on just to get the feel of it and see what to do about adding a skirt. I decided I liked the way it crumpled around my waist and that I wanted to maintain that in a dress.
To make the skirt I measured the bottom of the top and cut a six-panelled skirt that would match that width at its top. It's slightly a-line at each seam so there was no way it would end up too clingy. I just winged it really, making one pattern piece for the centre panel (front and back) and one pattern piece for the four side panels (front and back) but I did make a test version out of scrap to make sure it would work.
I sewed that to the top and then made a wide drawstring casing which covers the waist seam. Edges are raw here and on the bottom of the skirt. Made a tube of fabric for the drawstring.

And there you have it.

Cosy comfy purple dress!

- Jane x

Update - forgot to ask - does anyone have any ideas for adding a pocket to this? Or should I just keep stuffing a hanky up my sleeve?