Bali is one of our favourite holiday destinations. It’s not just the warm climate that I enjoy but one of my grandmothers was born in Indonesia, so it has echoes of a homecoming. I enjoy the beautiful hospitality of the Balinese people and the chance to practice speaking Bahasa. I was planning to share some content during my stay but after a day of spa, eating and sea-side lounging, I was so relaxed that I didn’t pick up my phone until I was leaving.
My lovely husband did manage a few snaps of some of the dresses I packed for the trip so I thought I would share those. Bali is tropical but August is dry season so it’s not too humid. There is always a sea breeze blowing with a temperature range between 24 degrees to 30 degrees which is so comfortable. I love packing dresses for holidays as it’s a great space saver. Also, with the right fabric and design, dresses can easily transition from day to evening wear.
Most worn was the Celestia Dress from Papercut Patterns. This dress was so versatile and so comfortable as it can be worn braless! I also love the roomy fit as there was a lot of local cuisine to enjoy like satay lilit, bebek betutu, urab and all often accompanied with a side of sambal matah.
Tide Dress from Papercut Patterns was another dress I packed. I probably did not wear this dress as much as the others as I found that the linen was very crushed, and I didn’t have ironing facilities. Also, I find linen a bit scratchy when it’s newly made, and it needs a bit of seasoning with a few washes and wears to soften.
I did wear it for a very interesting Balinese Opera Show, Dramatari Arja. The whole drama was sung by a chorus of about 15 singers which had a very hypnotic effect with the narration by a solo performer singing an operatic soliloquy. Worth it if you visit Bali.
The most comfortable fabric was this Nani Iro cotton-silk blend from DIY district that I used for my Patternscout Studio’s Flora Dress. It was so soft and cool to wear. Just a little mistake I had made was sewing the straps too far out and I found that the strap kept falling down my shoulders. I’ll need to unpick and move the straps closer as I think my shoulders have a narrower profile. Apart from that, the design allows for the dress to be pulled over the head which was so easy to wear.
Lora Dress from True Bias was a real favourite for the sunny days.
It’s a perfect summer dress and matched the beautiful gardens!
It was an easy style to wear and kept me cool in the midday sun. It’s been a gloriously relaxing holiday with a lot of lounging and uninterrupted reading. Feeling refreshed and looking forward to a bit of summer sewing.
Thanks for reading and happy sewing!
X Em
Em Sew Happy Blog 