Catarina Dress: Take Two

 | SEAMWORK CATARINA |

Hi Friends,

I wasn't kidding when I said this was the ultimate summer sundress. I'm obsessed with the Seamwork Catarina pattern. 

This version is made of a grid pattern poly-chiffon I bought during my winter fabric haul. I bought three meters of this for an awesome deal, but it sat unused for months because I was too scared to cut into the slippery chiffon (please tell me that I'm not the only one that has #fabricfears).

And its not just the chiffon that makes me nervous, I'm working on finishing up an awesome chiffon Oakridge blouse as we speak, its the print. Its impossible to hide even the smallest sewing error on this fabric since the print is so bold and geometric. 

I realized way, way after purchasing this that the grid pattern would be a total pain to pattern match. I also realized it was probably on sale for a killer 3m/$12 because the wiser sewists before me saw how slippery this fabric is and RAN AWAY. 

Ouups. 

Someone (me) got a little distracted by the trendy print and bought it without thinking of the painstaking pattern making the lied ahead. 

So when I saw the loose fit of the Catarina dress I thought it just might be forgiving enough to hide any chiffon-induced pattern matching disasters. I knew if I could get the bodice looking okay, the skirt would hopefully camouflage itself. 

So that's what I did. 

And I think it worked, don't you?

Besides taking FOREVER, and leaving a pile of chiffon scraps that - for my own sanity - will probably never be used again, I consider this make a total success. 

Right now this dress is acting as a beach cover up because the bottom is unlined. This is partly because I think its super cute as is for summer, but mostly because I ran out of the black crepe I used to line the bodice and I refuse to buy anymore until it goes on sale. 

I can count on Fabricland to always have poly crepe on sale 3 metres/$12 at the end of the season, so I won't buy it full price now. 

You know how it is. 

So I'm planning on lining it for the fall and it will take on a totally new life and look then. 

Imagine with me for a second, wouldn't this grid dress look dreamy with a tuque, a denim jacket and a vampy lip colour once its colder? You'll probably see it on Instagram, just saying. 

The only difference in this version from the last is that I elasticized the waist with some plush picot elastic. Personally, I don't really see a difference in the way it hangs, do you? Maybe you'll see something I don't, let me know!

This version is full length too, just like my last, even if you can't tell from the photos. I think the tied length gives it some nice variety, plus it looks a little more beachy and less like a scandalous dress without the lining. 

Other than that though, its just another cool version of the Catarina dress. This past weekend I talked myself out of making a third, thinking that might be wardrobe overkill, but don't be too surprised if you see a third coming to a blog near you sometime soon. 

Until next time, 

Rachel