Rosy Date Night Dress

April Rhodes asked for some pattern testers for newest pattern and I jumped at the chance!  Her first pattern, the Staple Dress was so fun to make and so easy!  I never posted about them, but did have a couple instagram photos of the two dresses I made.  Here is her latest pattern, The Date Night Dress:


It features fluttery sleeves and a box pleat at the back.  You can either cinch in the waist with a belt, some shirring, or leave it loose.  I chose to use a belt.  The photo where I have my hands awkwardly to the side is sans belt so you can see the shaping of the dress.  Since I have almost no waist and a weirdly long torso, I think the dress is more attractive on me with the belt.

The side view shows a better view of the fun parts of the dress.  The sleeves are extra fluttery, and shows how deep the arm hole goes.  You can see a peek of the slip I made to go with this dress.  April was so nice to include it as part of the pattern!  It really is a simple slip.  Really quick and easy to make with just one pattern piece!  I used Robert Kauffman Gold Radiance, a silk/cotton blend, and I love it.  The slip is especially appreciated since this kind of dress really needs a drapey fabric, and my favorite cotton voiles are sometimes a little sheer.  The side view also shows that the front of the dress is a little higher than the back which I think it cute.  I was a little unsure of the trend and this hi-lo is extremely mild.  A good way to try it out!

The pattern itself is a PDF pattern and goes together really easily.  April's instructions walk you through the steps, including finishing all seams (french seams on the inside)!  The only bad part about having the inside look as good as the outside is that I have trouble telling if the dress is inside out or not!

Lets see, technical details.  I cut a size small for both the slip and the dress, but if I were to do it again I would cut a medium in the slip.  It's a little tight in the chest for me.  I used Robert Kauffman Gold Radiance for the slip, and Anna Maria Horner's Turn of Events in Indigo voile for the dress.  LOVE voile.

In summary, it's a great pattern while still being easy enough for beginners.  This dress isn't my normal style, but after wearing it for photos it's growing on me.  Can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve, April!