Simplicity 2146

It's a Sunday double-bill! 

This is my latest creation, and the beginning of my attempt to build my honeymoon wardrobe - did I tell you that we are going to NYC and Hawaii in less than FOUR WEEKS time? I can't wait to get away, not just from my busy and stressful work at the moment but also from the grey weather here - In fact, I had been waiting for a sunny day to photograph this dress, but that day just never came, as yet!

I used Simplicity 2146, yet another Project Runway pattern. I love it! Its simple princess lines are so elegant, and it was such a quick project to make. All in all it took me less than a day, which I am pretty happy about. 

 A few firsts for me: 

1. Working with a linen blend - it's a linen and viscose blend (55%/45% I think) that I bought from the remnant bin from Decorative Cloth for about £5 during one of my trips to Leamington! Although I would too often skip the preshrinking step, I decided to wash and press this fabric first as linen is famous for its bad behaviour. It was a dream to work with - no complaints whatsoever! It is prone to creasing during wear, but I think this is somewhat mitigated by the viscose in the fabric. 
2. Lapped zipper - This is my first lapped zipper! It was easy enough to make, thanks to the Dressmaker's Technique Bible. I can proudly say that I have now done 4 types of zippers - centred dress zipper, invisible, handpicked and lapped :D
3. Vent - This was also straight forward, but I am pleased to have ticked another thing off my learning list. 

Overall I found the pattern very easy to make, and it has a great basic design, as well as a number of interesting optional details. I only made 3 minor changes:

1. Petite adjustment on the bodice, and also shortening the skirt by a rather lot (as well as having a very wide hem)
2. I finished the neckline and armholes with a thin, contrasting bias tape
3. Instead of the hook and eye, I added a button and bias tape button loop at the top of the zipper. 

I am happy with the result! I'm planning on wearing this on its own:

... and teamed with this jacket, the colour of which complements the bias tape detail on the dress: