A Summery Coco

Ta da! Yes, folks...what we have here is ANOTHER Coco! And I think I really love it...thought it's still growing on me...like a slow burn kinda thing. I actually thought I'd finish this dress and then chuck it in the charity bag...but it's a keeper for sure.

I bought this crazy fabric from the Alannah Hill Clear It Outlet in Fitzroy during my trip to Melbourne in August (it was the ONLY fabric I bought during my entire four day trip...impressive, huh)?

The fabric is some sort of Polyester/Elastaine mix that has a little bit of weight to it, and a good drape. For me, the Coco works much better in this sort of fabric rather than a stiffer Ponti-type fabric that the pattern recommends. It just sits better...

After have some..."issues" with the necklines on my other Coco's I really didn't want to try attaching a neckband to this dress. I also didn't want to use the funnel neck option as I think it would look weird with this fabric and would be too hot for summer anyway.

Soooooooooooo....I decided to try and make a facing and I have to say it worked pretty well for a first attempt (it's a bit puffy, but meh, I can't see it when the dress is on so I can pretend it's perfect). I topped stitched the facing down near the neckline, and then again at the bottom of the facing as it was curling up quite a bit (should I have used some stretch interfacing perhaps)? I think the neckline looks really good, and coincidentaly the exact same technique is used on a Leona Edmiston dress that I bought which I noticed after I brainstormed this technqiue all by myself *fist pump*.

I also decided to make this version with shorter sleeves and I added a cuff as I think it's a neat way to finish a sleeve. Twin needling is just way to risky and I didn't want to use a zig-zag stitch! The cuffs could possibly be a fraction tighter so I'll keep that in mind for next time.

I think the dress looks OK from the back too, but it still pools above my butt...I think I have a sway back in addition too much junk in the old trunk. Whatever.

I feel really pleased that I managed to come up with some ways to adapt this pattern for summer and to address some issues I've been having with the neckline. I'm not sure the facing would work with a ponti version (would it?) but it worked well this time. This is basically the dress I've been wanting to sew since I first sat down at a sewing machine just over a year ago.

So now that I've made the dress I always wanted I guess it's time to move on to a new hobby, right? As if!