Laura’s Willow Dress

Now that we are settled into the new season, it’s officially tights and boots time!

I love Autumn fashion; I think it is my favourite. Lately I have been really inspired by the “whimsigoth” aesthetic. 

If you haven’t come across this before, whimsigoth style is a combination of whimsical and gothic – it emulates dark colours, rich textures, dramatic details counterbalanced with airier fabrics with celestial and botanical embellishments. Pretty spot-on for a star gazing themed box, no?

And the fabric this month is absolute perfection. It is beautiful and airy, almost having the bounciness of a double gauze, and the swiss dot provides the rich texture. And of course, it is black. It ticks all the boxes. 

For the pattern, I chose the Willow dress from Cinnamon Daisy patterns. It is described as romantic, whimsical, and feminine. Exactly what I was looking for to hone the aesthetic. At first glance it looks like a simple dress, but there are lots of beautiful design details which really elevates this dress.

The bodice is cut into a V at the front which I think mimics the silhouette of a corset. I love the combination of the high neckline at the front with the lovely deep scoop at the back which adds the drama, finished all the way around with bias binding. To continue with the romantic theme, I used this one from the Specky Seamstress that came in the “Oh, Mr. Darcy” box WAY back in January 2021, that has just been waiting patiently to be used in the perfect project.

Another great thing about this pattern is the variation. First up you get the choice of a top or a dress, with additional choice of either a mini, knee length or midi length, then decide if you want it sleeveless, puff sleeves or fluted sleeves. I decided on the knee length dress with puff sleeves, and it fit exactly out of 2.5 meters for my size (I made size “I”). 

There is also an add-on pack for long sleeves which is purchased separately, but you can bundle them together for a small saving.

The dress has no zips or fastenings, it is loose fit and just slips over your head. Shaping comes from waist ties that are sewn into the waist darts and side seams to cinch you in at the waist, whilst maintaining the V shape at the front. Of course, you can tie these as tight or loose as you like which is great after a big meal!

This was my first pattern I have sewn from Cinnamon Daisy, and I couldn’t be happier with it. The sewing process was very straightforward, clear, and enjoyable. I would recommend this pattern to an ambitious beginner. It was a match made in heaven with the fabric as it was lovely to work with, and because it is quite lightweight, it also gives the perfect amount of both structure and drape. 

I absolutely love how this dress came out. It is so comfortable to wear, and it felt so good when I put it on.  I could not rave about this pattern more. I already have plans to make at least couple more as these will be great to wear to work as an easy outfit that is comfortable to sit in all day at a desk and look made-up.

They say everybody needs a little black dress in their wardrobe, and this is my perfect one. I’ve teamed it here with these super cute tights adorned with butterflies and bees, and boots to complete my whimsigoth look.