I decided to make a second project for the Literary Sewing Circle: once this idea hit me Ihad to do it! I have had this fabulous thrifted fabric for a while, but it's kind of a lining weight poly blend, so I was never sure what to do with it.
But thanks to Amatka, I had mushrooms on my mind. Then the idea for the Metamorphic Dress by Sew Liberated came to me. What better way to show the role of mushrooms in Amatka than using them on a dress that literally metamorphoses?! I'll have to keep telling it that it's now a Dress. Dress. Dress.
I also had a fine black linen-rayon blend that is fairly see-through, so it is a perfect combination with this reversible dress, since it has a sort of built in lining.
I wasn't sure this pattern was for me, though. First off, it's sleeveless. And multiple layering isn't really my aesthetic, and the pinafore style kind of requires even more layering. So I made a few changes.
I made a muslin of the bodice and shortened slightly between shoulder and bust, narrowed the neckline and raised the armscye by a couple of inches. I also slightly lengthened and straightened the waistline, which has a pronounced hi-lo shape, something else I'm not really keen on. I also lengthened the skirt so that it sits at my knee, so that I can wear it as a standalone dress and not just a layering piece with other dresses/pants underneath.
I used the black linen as the base, with side seam pockets, and the green mushroom print as the overlay, with patch pockets. The linen dress was very straightforward, even though the design does have the inside hem showing when you're wearing that side underneath. So I had to be very careful to keep that hem very straight and tidy.
The green fabric, however, is very slippery, so took quite a lot more effort to cut and stitch. The curved hem was a bit tricky, I'm glad the wrong side of that one doesn't show ;)
The patch pockets are also very lightweight, but I won't be using them for much beyond a key so I think they will survive. I added them anyhow since I liked the look.
Overall I enjoyed the sewing experience. The alterations and the reversible sewing were both interesting challenges and I like the way the sewing came out. I'm still not 100% convinced that this sleeveless, layering style is for me, but I'll wear it a few times and see if it grows on me. Hopefully not literally.
Fortunately my alterations do make it wearable as a standalone dress, so I should be able to get more use out of it in my daily wear. I'll definitely enjoy the Amatka reference when I do wear it, even if I'm the only one who knows about that part!
(Reminder if you're reading and sewing along -- you have just under one week to post your finished projects. May 31 is the deadline to link up your project on the finale post so we can all see and enjoy it!)
