Home Needles and Threads My summer Kew dress

My summer Kew dress

by Elsa
Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

Mondial Tissus gave me the fabrics and notions free of charge for my Kew dress

 

Enjoying some summer days at last. Summer, sun, friends…and weddings. My wardrobe is really poor in ceremony outfits. The last ceremony dress I had sewn was my golden Asta. So that dates?

So when Mondial Tissus asked if I’d like to choose some poplins in their summer range, I knew exactly what I would sew: Nina Lee’s Kew dress.

 

Why choosing the Kew dress?

I’ve been following Marie-A Stitching Odyssey for a while now. She sewed this dress last year for a wedding and I found her and her dress beautiful.

I have chubby upper arms so the cold shoulder really is a bonus to visually transform my biceps.

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

A buttoned front, darts at the bust and waist (front and back) enhance the silhouette.

 

Muslining the Kew dress

Fitted woven dress screams “Muslin!!!”. According to the size chart and finished garment chart, I was a size 12 in bust and 16 in waist/hips; I cut my pieces in a old cotton sheet…and I felt a bit constricted at the bust; My breast was flattened and I couldn’t really move my arms.

So I cut a bust 14 and a size 16 for the reste and it was what I needed.

Other adjustments were: lowering the bust dart, shortening the front waist dart, and a tiny narrow shoulder adjustment at the back (I had a small gaping near my spine that was solved when I pinned 1/4″ on the half-pattern back piece).

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

No more gaping at the center back!

Then I cut into my good fabric, the one with the tiny fans. I had just enough for the dress…and I cut my back skirt wrong! I could have cried, but I saved it by reducing the high-low effect.

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

 

Cotton poplin has the right weight to gove some body to the skirt.

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

My first Kew dress

This is my first Kew dress. It is an extremely wearable muslin.

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

 

I will show my second Kew dress the late August/early September, after the wedding (and our holidays in Florida!). At least, let me show you the fabric I chose

EDIT: if you’re curious, here’s my other Kew dress!

Kew dress, La Casa Cactus

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2 comments

Masha 2 August 2019 - 22 h 17 min

I don’t usually like the cold-shoulder look, but it fits you very nicely around the shoulders and arms. It’s very pretty. I think the neckline helps a bit too. I also have chubby upper arms!

Reply
ElsaP 2 August 2019 - 22 h 25 min

Thank you. I feel like my upper arms are a bit slimmer visually thanks to the lower part of the sleeve.

Reply

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