My blossom dress

I didn't hang about with the dressmaking.  Earlier this week I made a second Lisette portfolio tunic (you can see my first one here). 

I made some adjustments to my first one, which I repeated with this one.  I took in the seams around the waist - between the armpit and the pockets at the hip - by 2cm on each side, and I lengthened the sleeves slightly by sewing the cuffs with the seam on the inside (they are meant to be sewn with the seam on the outside and then folded back on themselves, but I just knew that would irritate me).

I still love this pattern but I think I could take it in even more around the waist - I am going to try putting some back darts in.  They're easily reversible if they don't work as I imagine.

I love this floral fabric.  I bought five metres of it at a vide grenier in France last summer, for the princely sum of €3.  No that's not €3 per metre, that's €3 in total - amazing!  It is a vintage cotton lawn, which the lady who sold it to me said was bought by her mother shortly after the war.  I'm inclined to believe her because the selvedge to selvedge width is narrower than usual, just 91cm rather than the more usual 137cm, and the floral pattern looks typical of the 1940s or 1950s.

I'm calling this my blossom dress, because the blossom is out everywhere now, and just wearing this dress makes me feel like spring has sprung.  I wore it when I went to Kew yesterday with Tracy and Kristina, and we found more than enough spring blossom there to keep us happy.