Inspiration:

As my fascination with cute summer clothes continues, I'm always planning new creations. This one came from my frustration with trying to match shirts with skirts. I decided to make a nice dress that didn't need anything matching, and when I saw the pattern, I knew that it was just the look I wanted. Also, the fact that I was sick of winter and winter clothing, motivated me to get to work (hence the dress' name :).

Materials:

Simplicity 4675, some nasty polyester blend from my stash, muslin (for lining), matching and contrasting thread, 22" zipper.

Construction:

Obviously, this dress needed some major alterations. I brought the armholes in half an inch to expose less skin and make the sometimes-controversial sleeveless style more modest. I also brought the skirt down a good 8+ inches (I can't remember exactly how much). I'm am very long-waisted and so I made the bodice an inch longer, as the dress is supposed to sit below the hip.

Originally I was going to make the dress without a lining, but the fabric is so flimsy that even a full slip underneath just wouldn't make it look as nice. So I added a lining, which made the fabric look much crisper and tidy (also eliminated the need for a slip).

Everything went together really well and simple. I programmed a design into my Platinum 770 and, although it took a lot of mistakes and ripping things out, embroidered around the neck, armholes, waistline and hem of the dress. I absolutely love the way the decorative stitching looks (I love contrasts!) and very pleased overall with the dress.

The Finished Dress:

When I was finished with this dress I wasn't sure how happy I would be with it. For one thing, I felt like my workmanship wasn't as top-notch on this project as it should have been and the lining also has a queer way of crinkling underneath the dress. I ended up wearing it to the Sewing Expo and felt more favorable towards it after that. It turned out to be more comfortable than I had expected (my only problem was the armhole tended to cut into my skin - the price of modesty :) and I really liked the way it looked on me.

Over all, I am very happy with this dress! Thanks to Lydia for some really nice pictures!