Quick summer dress

Thank you so much for all the supportive comments. Much appreciated. I heard at the shelter that puppy mill moms are the most difficult dogs to take in - all they know is being in a cage, the puppies at least get to leave. They are generally fearful and poorly socialized.

So far Miss Daisy is exceeding expectations as they say in the big world. She is apparently making up, mile by mile, for all the time outside she never had before and is excellent on our long walks, social and gentle with every person and dog we meet. She doesn't know how to play yet (we have a couple of fun dogs at home in the family who will help with that) and had no clue what stairs were. She follows me around one step behind me all day and sleeps happily with us all night.

The only incident we had was when we went out to golf, the first time we had left her, and she chewed a hole in her beautiful nylon traveling crate. We got a shock when we came home and she was not in there, until we found her upstairs in the bedroom sitting beside a pair of my shoes. Point taken, enough being caged up for this lifetime.

Here is the latest picture, the ears are coming up:

Now I realize too that this is meant to be a sewing blog and yes I have done some sewing.

Here is the latest version of Brensan Designs KISS dress that goes together so nicely.

I know I always accuse my photographer of taking my picture all slanted over, but seeing this I realize that what is off kilter is me. But so are the trees, so at least we have a theme going. Stretch cotton sateen from Mood, finally sewn up.

This pattern has optional back and front French darts but since I wanted a sort of everyday dress I put in the back darts so it wouldn't look like a sack, but left out the front darts to spare myself the experience of looking down and my belly under the seatbelt in the car and seeing the rolls. It just makes it more comfortable to wear, even though it does reveal the realities of my figure:

I like this pattern so much because it requires zero fitting finesse and because of the cool construction techniques. The best one is the way the top of the back seam is sewn for the first few inches ( you can get the neckline over your head) and then the zipper is inserted. So neat and so much nicer than all that fiddly unsatisfying stuff you usually get at the top of a zipper in a dress:

The facings are bagged so the neckline and armholes are particularly neat, you can find that technique here.

An excellent pattern.

The best dress pattern

For a while all spring I have been looking for a new basic dress pattern, something simple I can make into 2,000 variations a la Carolyn.

I knew what I wanted. 

A front and a back and sleeveless with a neckline that wouldn't make me too hot. Something that was adaptable and basic but not a just a fabric envelope with holes for your head and arms to stick out of.

Something basic but with a bit of style.

Well try to find a pattern like that. Simple, comfortable and well-drafted.  

I looked and looked and finally ordered the KISS dress from Brensan Designs I admit I have a blouse pattern from this line but haven't made it up yet, and as a non-quilter, as a garment sewer, I wondered if these patterns were for me.

Here is the pattern envelope:

Now in my opinion this is one dynamite dress pattern, beautifully drafted, with these cool features:

• There is a pullover, more house dress, casual option that is made by placing the back seam on the fold and not sewing in the vertical back and front darts - only the bust darts are sewn. I made myself one of these directly out of the envelope in black and white cotton.
• There is also a more fitted version - to get this you use the same pattern, just sew in the front and back vertical darts and put a zipper in the back.
• There is a one piece back/armhole facing piece and a one piece front/armhole facing piece - so the whole top is sort of lined without any facings that can flip up or out.
• There are instructions to bag the facings/dress involving some pulling through the shoulder seam that is really slick. I can't explain it here because I am not sure I totally understand it but I followed the instructions on two dresses and presto it turned out. Very fast, neat and RTW.
• Most interesting, and you really need to pay attention to this, is the suggestion that since this dress has a scoop neck to sew the first 1" or so of the top centre back seam and then to put the zipper in below that! This means the back neckline is nice and smooth and faced and the invisible zipper is set a little way below in the seam. This totally dispenses with that horrible finishing the top of the zipper at the neckline hassle that has disappointed me in about 500 dresses.

Here is a picture of what that looks like in a photo that shows nothing and it totally non-illuminating but might make the point that this is one nifty way to put in a zipper in a dress with a neckline that goes on over your head:

That little bump you can't really make out about an inch below the neckline is the white zipper pull. Isn't this a totally cool idea?

So now the dresses. 

The first one is the vertical dartless pullover version I made with pockets to hold my dog leash, car key, and vegetable peeler as well as any other odd stuff I find on the floor.

Made this when I first got here and have worn it a lot. Notice just arrived from Nova Scotia pale legs.

Side view so you can see what the effect of not sewing those darts is. I might make this with only the back darts in for another casual dress, or make the darts slimmer.

And now for the very same pattern made up with the darts sewn front and back and the zipper in. 

Much more fitted and IMO an A1 dress to have. Note in both dresses the darts were perfect as is. In the second version I took in a little at centre front neckline to accommodate my scrawny neck:

 And this is me apparently holding up the house:

Back shot to show that if I had more fabric I would have matched the print:

So there you have it. A wonderful dress pattern.

Now I think I will go and have another look at this line.