Avril Dress

So much to unpack with this one! I was so lucky to receive 3 meters of Lyocell Denim from Devonstone Fabric and so I immediately started to look for the right pattern that would match this beautiful fabric. Though denim is usually associated with toughness and thickness, this denim is composed of 65% Lyocell, 16% Polyester, 17% Rayon and 2% Spandex. It’s only 5oz in weight which makes is lightweight and gives it a drape not usually associated with denim. It’s so super soft to wear.

A few patterns came to mind like the Grace Trousers which is a paper-bag waisted pant pattern from A Sewing Life which suits mid-weight fabric with drape. I was also tempted to make another True Bias Quinn Vest Dress which needs fabric with structure. Whilst I was searching, I came across a designer who is new to me called By Galia Patterns (Galia Stoianova). I fell in love with her designs straight away. I would describe her designs as romantic and feminine with timeless charm. The pattern I went with in the end was the Avril Dress which is a beautiful button-down dress with an A-line skirt. I chose the short sleeves with folded cuffs and the front patch pockets.

So, new pattern and new fabric. You’re going to think I’m crazy when I say that I didn’t make a toile. I just found Galia’s notes for fitting were so good. By Galia Patterns has a YouTube channel but you have to look for it under her name. It shows you how to take your body measurements. So, from my measurements of 38-inch bust, 33-inch waist and 40-inch hips, my sizing was between the size 10 and 12. There is another full page describing how to choose the sizing which was so comprehensive. The instruction was to choose according to the full bust measurement and to use the smaller size if you’re in between, so I printed and sewed the Size 10. I didn’t mean to make any modifications, but I did sew the bodice using a 3/8 -inch seam rather than the ½ inch. I think that has been better for me anyway.

I’ve seen people listing sewing as a “Granny Hobby”. I don’t know why anyone would ever think that. Nothing keeps you more on the edge of your seat when you’re sewing a new pattern without a toile and with unfamiliar fabric substrate. It’s more exciting that the latest Alien Earth Series. Don’t take this as sensible advice. I would always choose to toile, but I was in a risk-taking mood.

The Lyocell denim arrived with a very handy card which instructed me to wash it in a cold wash. This is a very handy feature, and I wish that more companies would think about including this in their packaging. I then line-dried the fabric. It can be ironed but I would use low heat. I discovered that high heat and steam make the fabric curl and warps the fabric. There is a little bit of bounce in the fabric so when you fold it, it won’t sit completely flat even after ironing. I’m only mentioning this because when you’re making things like patch pockets, it’s hard to get the sharp corners. This might give you an understanding that it handles differently from the usual denim.

Once wash and dried, I was ready to change my needle. I used a universal needle in a 70/10 gage size. It doesn’t need a denim needle because it’s very lightweight. I had also printed and taped together my pattern tiles. The pattern was very easy to put together and was very accurate. I used scissors to cut the fabric.

The dress has a beautiful full A-line skirt and this Lyocell denim was so easy to gather. It drapes so beautifully. Its bouncy quality gives the dress a bit more body which is ideal for the full skirt. I have never found denim to be a comfortable fabric for dresses because of how rigid they usually are, but this is not the case with this denim. That little bit of stretch takes away that rigidity.

All in all, it’s been an enjoyable project. I love the design of this dress and will definitely be looking to sew it in a few other substrates like linen.

Thanks for reading and happy sewing,

X Em