June 25, 2015

A SUNNY FLORAL SOUTHPORT


Have you ever had your eye on a fabric for seemingly months on end without pulling the trigger? That's how I felt about this fabric - and pairing it with my new favorite pattern makes this dress a major win in my book.

Pattern: True Bias Southport Dress
Size: 12
Alterations: Shortened bodice by 1"
Fabric: Viscose/rayon twill from Fabric.com

The pattern is, of course, the True Bias Southport Dress. Kelli really knocked it out of the park on this one. You may have seen her other amazing contributions to the sewing pattern community - the Hudson Pant (one of my versions) and the Sutton Blouse (my version). As soon as I saw Kelli posting hints of a new pattern on her Instagram, I knew it would be an instant winner... and I was not wrong! The Southport is such an easy, quick, satisfying dress to make - with no closures or fiddly bits, it comes together really fast. It's basically the perfect summer dress!


This is actually my third Southport, and my favorite - mostly due to fabric choice (here's the first and second one). The fabric is a viscose/rayon twill that I first saw on the Blackbird Fabrics website. Caroline has amazing taste, so it's no wonder that I first saw this fabric on her site. It seems like everyone else in the sewing community saw it too, though, because it was constantly selling out. I was lucky enough to spot this on Fabric.com a few months ago, and snapped it up! The floral pattern is really bold with a navy background - and there are striations in the fabric that make it look sort of aged. I was kind of turned off by that at first, but I sort of like the worn in feel it gives the fabric.



Being my third Southport, I pretty much have the pattern the way I like it. For this version, I shortened the bodice by 1", but I think I need to go one more inch on my inevitable fourth version. I've mentioned it a few times, I think, but I had a bit of an epiphany that I am short waisted. Being 5'6" and knowing many patterns are drafted for my height - I never really thought about it. But I started noticing that certain things were longer than they should be, or blousing more than they should be (like this dress). On my first Southport, I actually unpicked the skirt (on which I had topstitched down the serged seam allowance - ooooof), shortened it by 2" and resewed everything. It seemed a tad short afterwards, so I figured I went to far... Maybe I'll actually test out 1.5" next time.


There's not too much more to say about this amazing dress pattern (have I fangirled enough?) - except to check it out if you don't already have it. And then you'll find yourself making all kinds of excuses why you need more. Have you seen Kelli's tank top hack tutorial? I'm eyeing some silk in my stash for one.

Do you have any big summer plans or vacations coming up? I'm going to Spain next week - to do a Spanish language school for 2 weeks in Madrid, with my friend Virginia! Have you been to Spain and have any tips? Or do you have any tips for traveling alone (I'll be there for 26 hours by myself and I've never done that anywhere ever!)? Any advice would be mucho appreciated! :D

9 comments:

  1. I seriously love it!! That fabric is perfect for this pattern! I think you've nailed the fit now too! Great photos once again! Have so much fun in Spain - I wish I could give you some travel tips but I've never been there before.

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  2. Caroline @ Blackbird FabricsJune 25, 2015 at 7:20 PM

    Love this so much! I am also a huge fan of the Southport dress. I've made one so far and wear it at least once a week. Perfect summer dress!
    Did those striations in the fabric happen after washing? Strange, because the one from my shop didn't have that (it did have a slightly faded look from the twill weave, but nothing like your photos). I wonder if it's the same print on a different fabric base, or maybe the roll that Fabric.com got was a different lot! Fabric is a strange beast. I'm glad you got your hands on this print though. I'm hoarding a length for myself and waiting for the perfect pattern.

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  3. Thanks, Heather!! I can't wait to take this on my trip - which I can't believe is happening so soon!!! Eek!!!

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  4. Thanks, Caroline!!! You know - I think the sort of striations/lines happened after washing, and it also got a little bit worn looking. I thought it was weird at first, but I sort of dig it on the final dress. I wonder too if it's a different lot... I picked up some other rayon from them that had sold out in your store too, but it was completely fine and didn't change after washing. I know a lot of people have weird experiences with Fabric.com (which is why I'm hesitant to buy from them sometimes). But I'm happy I finally got to use this print too - and I can't wait to see what you make up with it!!!

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  5. This is gorgeous on you. So lovely for summer. Have a wonderful trip to Spain! I went about 10 years ago with my cousin and we travelled all over. We loved it but were extremely shocked at how inappropriate the men were towards us! We weren't naive delicate flowers either - I'd travelled in Italy, Greece, Egypt, Jordan and Turkey where the men were far more respectful - sometimes a little too friendly but the men in Spain and Portugal were overwhelmingly vile! So just be aware and mindful! Amazing shoes, make sure you allow plenty of shoe shopping time- Campers, Wonders....

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  6. Thanks, Sarah!! And oh boy - I'm glad you let me know about your experiences in Spain! Definitely something to be aware of. And I'm pretty excited about shoe shopping - I really want to pick up some sandals at the minimum!

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  7. I love this fabric, and I think the fit looks pretty dang great. I feel like the bodice length is perfect because it seems like JUST the right amount of blousing, but I don't think it would hurt to try 1.5" either.

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  8. Thanks, Nicole!! You might be right about the blousing - any more and it might not be enough. I may give 1.5" a go and see what happens... I figure why not! I love this dress pattern so much, I almost feel like I can do no wrong with it!

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  9. This looks so nice on you! But OH MAN I'm so jealous of your trip! Have so much fun, eat so many patatas bravas, and keep posting lots of pics on IG!

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