Floria Dress - By Hand London


I'm afraid there's no #FabricFriday today friends, as I'm catching a plane to Poland for our third and last wedding of the summer! But I do have my latest make to share, which also happens to be what I'm wearing to said wedding and also features gorgeous cotton sateen from Minerva Crafts, sent to me as part of their Blogger Network. Unfortunately, this specific print no longer seems to be available, but they stock an excellent range of cotton sateen to suit all tastes. 

Fabric chosen, it was time to pick a pattern that would do it justice. I couldn’t get By Hand London designs out of my mind, but with limited time I was torn between having a go at something new and going for a tried and tested pattern. I decided to compromise by pairing the new-to-me Sophia bodice with my beloved Flora skirt. The result, which I’m calling Floria, was everything I hoped for and more!



Pairing the two patterns was easy. I measured the bodice waistline against the skirt waistline before joining the two and adjusted my pleats accordingly to fit. Yep, it really was that easy! I’m a huge fan of full skirts which don’t add bulk to the waistline like gathering does, so the Flora skirt ticks all those boxes for me. But the real star of the Floria show is the bodice, with its angled darts for a vintage vibe and angled armholes exposing a bit of (sexy) shoulder. Just be aware that you’ll need a strapless bra to make the most of this bodice.



Cotton sateen has got to be one of my favourite fabrics to sew with. It washes well, handles easily and has just the right amount of stretch to make fitting a little more forgiving. And best of all, it holds its shape well despite the stretch factor, meaning no saggy waistlines after a few hours of wear! I lined my bodice with cotton lawn which is nice and breathable in this gloriously warm weather we’re having.


My sick dart and waistline matching is thanks to By Hand London's super simple, but super effective, trick!


My favourite thing about this dress is that I get to enjoy it at least twice – once at a wedding in Essex last Thursday and again at another wedding in Poland this Saturday! At the risk of photo overload, I'll leave you with a couple of shots taken in front of an aromatic wall of roses at last Thursday's wedding!

Pssst! Have you entered this month's #vintagepledge giveaway? There's free fabric up for grabs for two lucky winners! There's also discount codes for The Village Haberdashery and Abakhan!

25 comments:

  1. Gosh, that bodice and skirt go together perfectly - and so pretty in that sateen ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. It's a gorgeous dress - such pretty fabric, and the bodice and skirt combine together so well. Perfect for wearing to a wedding!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Very nice and perfect for a summer wedding

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Kerry, so glad it got a second outing :o)

      Delete
  4. Have fun in Poland! Hope it's a traditional 2 day wedding you're going to? Great dress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was just the one day for the wedding, but incredible nonetheless thanks!

      Delete
  5. This is gorgeous, Marie! That fabric is lovely on you and perfect for summer. Have fun in Poland!

    ReplyDelete
  6. What an amazing dress you look fabulous. The fabric is too too.

    ReplyDelete
  7. This print is the perfect summer print! And it looks perfect for this dress! Great job- you're going to look fantastic at the wedding!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, it's so a comfy dress to wear!

      Delete
  8. No such thing as too many pretty photos. Great job!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Oh it's so beautiful! What gorgeous fabric! I just finished my Sophia, the second, and would love to keep sewing them... the bodice is super flattering on you and I think me too!

    xoxoxo Have a lovely time away!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you lovely! I'd love to see your two versions...have you blogged them yet? Can't seem to see them on your blog?!

      Delete
  10. Oh, so gorgeous! Hope you're having a wonderful time away and enjoyed celebrating in your dress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, we had an amazing time thanks!

      Delete
  11. That is one beaut of a dress. I just made a matching belt with buckle and eyelets tutorial on my blog for the vintage pledge. One would look fab on this dress.I pinned it on my #vintage pledge board too.
    http://joeveryday19.blogspot,co,uk

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Jo! And even more thanks for the great tutorial :o) I've pinned it to the dedicated Pinterest Board and have tweeted it too!

      Delete
  12. What a beautiful dress! Very clever of you to combine the two!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks lady! I usually play it safe, but so glad I combined the two patterns this time :o)

      Delete