*This article may contain affiliate links.
Spring has been extremely rainy and I’m done with it! So I planned some summer outfits to cheer me up.
Let’s start with a dress. Palermo is such an easy pattern that I had already sewn as a fall project.
The most perfect way to transition from one season to another was to pair it with this terracotta dobby crepe fabric* I got as a Minerva Brand Ambassador.
- Sew Beautiful book* (where you can find the Palermo pattern)
- Crepe*
- Elastic*
Palermo, a pattern from Sew Beautiful
Back in 2020, Kennis published Sew Beautiful*, a book full of easy-to-sew patterns. That book featured cute outfits meant for the beginner seamstress .e. with no tricky fastening option like zipper, buttonholes, etc.
Being one of the testers, I had sewn a fall Palermo, as I had been amazed at how easy it was to sew and the cute twirling effect.
You will need some lightwieght fabric like crepe or rayon challis for a maxi loose effect.
Terracotta fabric for this Palermo
Color rendering may be disppointing on screen, but this dobby viscose in a luscious terracotta wasn’t disappointing at all.
It’s an amazing feel with its texture on the right side.
Just check that you don’t mix the right and the wrong side because they look pretty similar!
I was so happy to notice that once pre-washed and hung outside to dry, I didn’t have to iron it. Quite good if you want to take the dress on holidays.
I would advise to use a size 80 needle to prevent any thread pulling. Some Seralon thread was useful as well. I’ve become quite a snob concerning threads and only use good quality thread.
This fabric didn’t crease well, a downside to being wrinkle-frre. Using washable double-sided tape* helped when marking the hem.
Summer on approach!
Perfect boho dress for summer ’24.
I cut a straight size 6.
The belt was cut in the same fabric, but in “Stone”. Actually, you can use any belt you have.
Channelling my inner Pirate of the Carribeans!!
Or you can prefer it completely unbelted for a maxi-loose effect.
The neckline was really easy to sew because the front bodice is cut in 2 pieces. No facing and tricky corner sewing.
Lengths and lengths of gathering!
Perfect length for sitting with elegance.