#Frugalfrocks2021 French Navy Orla Dress

Ta-dah! It is reveal time for #Frugalfrocks2021, where you sew something using fabric from your stash and a free sewing pattern. 

Since I'm a big fan of freebies, and, let's face it, there's not a lot else to do other than sewing during lockdown, I had to participate. 

The French Navy Orla Dress has been on my list to sew for ages, and the challenge was the perfect excuse for me to finally have a go at it. This pattern is totally free to download (no subscription or checkout required), and even comes in A0 for copyshop printing! 

Can you tell that I added pockets? I can't seem to get my hands out of them! Speaking of which, let me share my favourite in-seam pocket tutorial with you - I just love the clean finish this provides! 

I had high hopes of this pattern, and it didn't disappoint. It's such a classic shape, and could look so different depending on the fabric you choose. I also liked the slightly high waistline, and the above-knee length. It's rare for me, but I decided not to make any adjustments to the pattern, and just cut a straight XS. Note though that I'm rather petite, so you might want to adjust accordingly if you are on the tall side. 

The other thing to mention is that the instructions are pretty basic - it contains narrative only, with no illustration or photos. I didn't actually use it, but I'm pretty familiar with sewing this type of dresses. For this reason, I probably wouldn't recommend this to a complete beginner, as tempting as a free dress pattern may be! 

I love how simple this dress is, and how it's turned out. The only slight issue that I have is that the neckline doesn't always lie flat. This was something that I was aware of, so I did pull out all the tricks during the construction process, but still didn't manage to get it to lie totally flat. 

The fabric is a lovely nautical seersucker, which I picked up from C&H Guildford a few years ago. I knew that I had to have it, but for all this time, did not know exactly what to make with it. I had 1.5 metres of it (which has quite a narrow width), and I managed to squeeze out this dress without too much trouble. Neither did I end up with too much in the way of scrap, mind you! 

And there you have it, my little nautical summer dress, just in time for the beautiful weather! 

Now I'm off to see all the reveals today!