Tag Archive for 'anna griffin'

Dress 4, originally uploaded by the workroom.

Dress 4 – Burda Easy 7969
Fabric – Anna Griffin Floral Catalogue from the Blythe Collection

If you’re looking for a simple and quick dress pattern, this is a good one to try. There are no sleeves, no zippers and no darts in this dress. But even still, it fits very nicely. The encased tie around the waist cinches the fabric into pretty little gathers across the back side. The tunic has a very Grecian look, in my opinion.

I made three adjustments to the original pattern. When cutting out the fabric, it seemed like the skirt was going to be way too long, so I shortened the skirt pieces. Once I finished the dress, I realized I had shortened it a bit too much. I would have preferred to have a couple more inches in length. Next time I do this pattern, I’ll cut it out exactly as they have it printed.

After I put the dress together, the skirt was a bit too a-line for my liking. I felt that the silhouette would be better slightly straighter, so I ended up bringing the skirt in a few inches around the bottom.

The pattern also called for store-bought bias tape for the neck line and the arm holes. I made my own bias tape using the Anna Griffin fabric. Bias tape is the easiest (and dare i say, funnest?) thing to make. The key is using the right tools, the most important being a bias tape maker. I promise a little tutorial very soon on bias tape. I want you to love it as much as I do.

The Blythe line from Anna Griffin is filled with fun prints like maps, calligraphy, engraved drawings and botanical studies. I especially like this fabric because it feels like I’m wearing a vintage flower catalog.

What are your thoughts on the ‘proper’ thing to wear under a dress with no lining? Do you wear/own slips? Do you have another solution? Do you care? For me, it usually depends on the show-through factor of the fabric, especially on light-coloured ones. I’m thinking that I’d like to make a few simple cotton slips to go with my growing dress collection. Hmm… foundation garments may be the next personal sewing challenge.