TL; DR – FEELING GROOVY!

Did you know Ikea did fabric? I think they had been doing it for a while in Europe, but I had never seen actual Ikea fabric in North America. Until now. And it is CHEAP. I have a whole haul, so expect a lot of Ikea prints over the next few months as the weather turns darker and colder and I turn to dopamine dressing.

Anyway. This fabric screamed a 60s style dress, and while I could have made yet another Mary Quant, I wanted to try something new. The fabric itself is a solid weight (it’s almost like denim), so I figured a dress that demanded structure was in order, and I had wanted to try the French Dart dress from Maven Patterns for a while. It crossed my social media feed when Mavin extended the pattern’s size range and it looked too good to pass up.

It’s a simple, straightforward sew which I was able to complete in an afternoon. Next time (there will be a next time!), I’m going to skip the collar and go with as bias tape finish for a lovely boat neck. But I like this collar as well, which is cut on the bias and so has a nice shape. I love how it looks and it will pair well with a pair of knee-high black boots, don’t you think?