Orchards Dress #2

I absolutely love my first version of the Vivian Shao Chen Orchards Dress – it’s actually one of my favourite garments I have ever made! I said it would be a pattern I would come back to and I wasn’t wrong. I don’t often repeat patterns, but I should probably do it more because it really is great embarking on a project knowing it’s going to fit you and you’re going to love it – particularly when sewing time is tight!

I spotted this Louisiana linen on the Merchant and Mills website last year and loved it, but I wasn’t sure the colours would work for me. When I was buying samples of oilskin to make a bag, I added this to my selection so I could check it against my House of Colour swatches. Sure enough, the various tones of peach and teal were actually really good matches for me, so I kept it in mind for a future project. When it came to ordering the 70cm of fabric for my bag project I only needed to spend another £58.20 to get free shipping, so I did the only logical thing and bought 2.5m of the linen too!

At first, I wasn’t sure which pattern I would use for the fabric – the Sew Liberated Hinterland Dress was a contender and so was the Style Arc Hope Dress, but then I saw this stunning version of the Orchards Dress by @sewimpatient and my mind was made up! Like Tina, I opted for the longer length plain sleeve from the sleeve expansion pack and added 1″ in length to the bodice. My first version of the dress was a tiny bit short, so I decided to make the dress as long as I could with the fabric I had.

Other than these slight changes, I didn’t do anything differently to my last version of the dress. I made the size 2 and included the loops and tie so I can choose to control the volume of the dress a bit if I want to. I only managed an extra 2″ in length on the skirt pieces, but together with the additional 1″ of length I added to the bodice this has given me a finished hem I am much happier with.

I flipping LOVE the pin tuck sleeves on my first version of the dress, but I was keen to try one of the other options and the longer sleeve seemed more suitable for a less summery garment. They don’t have quite the same drama as 35 pin tucks per sleeve, but I do love them just as much! The bias finish is beautiful, the volume is perfectly balanced and I like how the opening is dipped slightly at the back – a very well-drafted sleeve indeed!

I finished my dress last Tuesday and have already worn it for a couple of days – it’s super comfortable and nice and cosy with some thermals underneath. The linen has already softened beautifully and I think it’s the kind of fabric that will get better and better with every wash and wear – good quality is worth every penny! Merchant and Mills dropped a new range of checked linens recently and this colour-way has caught my eye – I think I might add it to my birthday list…