Gemma’s Wednesday-Style Lyra Dress
What do you do when you receive a black patterned fabric and it falls in Halloween month? You make a little black dress of course!
As the queen of all things spooky, I knew this fabric was perfect for creating my ideal black dress, I was thinking Wednesday Addams vibes which is just the thing to wear come October. The pattern to bring this idea to life was an easy one to think of – the Tilly and the Buttons Lyra dress is a match made in heaven!
I love the collar on this shirt, it’s a good pointy one that sits right in the middle of the neckline (as long as it’s been sewn correctly!) and matches the infamous dress Wednesday Addams tends to wear when you think of her character. I did toy with the idea of perhaps going with a white fabric for the collar for full effect, but as I had plenty of fabric I decided to go for an all-black look, as the simple dotty print really hides the features of the dress until you are up close, almost like a spooky surprise!
TATB patterns are famous for being easy to follow, and this one is no exception. It is definitely the simplest construction of a collar and stand that I’ve found, and the fit of the dress is roomy yet fitted on the bodice, making it really comfortable. I made the short sleeve version as I plan to wear it with knitted vests and thermals underneath when it gets colder, yep, already thinking about those layering options! I did change the skirt slightly and made a simple long length one rather than adding a tier, as I love how that flows, and of course every dress needs pockets!
Cotton lawn is one of my favourite fabrics to work with, as it just behaves itself when sewing – no moving around, easy to cut and lightweight to go through the machine easily. Making buttonholes on fabric like this is also a joy, especially if you have an automatic one!
I added simple grey buttons, as I wanted to keep the vibe of the dress all about the fabric. As much as I love a bright, bold print, there is something rather nice about taking it down a notch sometimes and creating a garment a little more sombre. It really highlights the simple print, and in terms of being a wardrobe staple it makes it a great addition that can be mixed and matched with so many other items. Sometimes you really want the pattern to do the talking, and this dress certainly does that.
We say this every month but this box is just incredible, and another beautiful fabric. I can’t wait to see what everyone else decides to make!