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White-hot Lonsdale

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Long-time readers may remember my first modified Sewaholic Lonsdale, which I made in Italian cotton 3 years ago (!!!). I have always adored that dress.

This one was actually something of a stash-busting project. I had the pattern, and I had a couple yards of white cotton pique. Bam!

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Something about bare white summer dresses always reminds me of one of my favorite icons, Sophia Loren. I adore Sophia’s mix of sex appeal and classic taste. To me, she has always seemed sexy and strong at the same time. She was and is a goddess.

My favorite Sohphia quote: “Everything you see I owe to spaghetti.”

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I made all the same modifications as my original Lonsdale, adding bust and waist darts, using the same narrow skirt instead of a full one, raising the waistline for my short-waisted self, and clean finishing the back zipper.

My favorite thing about the Lonsdale, apart from the awesome neckline and bare shoulders of course, is the pockets. I kept them just as they are in the original pattern, even though I changed the shape of the skirt.

So deep and nice to put your hands in, and I think they make the dress look a touch more casual. The wrinkles maybe take the casual thing a little too far, but hey, it was the end of the day.

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I adore this dress and can’t imagine it in a more suitable fabric for summer.

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Plus I learned a nifty new trick for finishing the inner waistline without hand stitching! I’ve got a tutorial for that lined up on Wednesday, so check back soon.

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Pattern: Sewaholic Lonsdale, with modifications
Fabric: Cotton pique
Shoes: Sven clogs
Lipstick: MAC Lady Danger

Sarai Mitnick

Founder

Sarai started Colette back in 2009. She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa.

Comments

Helen

August 4, 2014 #

Wow!!! You’re a stunner! Fabulous dress too.

francesca

August 4, 2014 #

wow! you are a goddess.

Carla

August 4, 2014 #

Love the dress!!! Now I understand why I have to add at least 3′ to my torso on your patterns! LOL

Sarai

August 4, 2014 #

Ha! We use a pro fit model, but some of the patterns do have an intentionally high set waist (like Rooibos).

Katie

August 4, 2014 #

oh, wow! just Wow!

Heather Lou

August 4, 2014 #

Total Grecian goddess/movie star magic with this make Sarai. Jeez louise! And I love the moody dark photos with the pop of white…..

unlabelled clothes

August 4, 2014 #

Oh wow, the dress looks so beautiful on you.

Colleen

August 4, 2014 #

I can hardly see the dress for your beauty!

liza jane

August 4, 2014 #

Gorgeous!!

Juliana

August 4, 2014 #

gorgeous!! so chic!
I love it!

Juliana

August 4, 2014 #

and the spaghetti quote, indeed, the best! :)

Tilly

August 4, 2014 #

Smokin’ hot, lady! x

Samantha

August 4, 2014 #

simply lovely……and smokin’!

True Bias

August 4, 2014 #

wowzers! this is so chic and gorgeous. total sewing envy over here.

Miss Crayola Creepy

August 4, 2014 #

hahha that quote is great!!!

Love the dress in white, so chic.

Liz

August 4, 2014 #

LOVE it! Perfect timing, as I have always loved your yellow floral Lonsdale, and I am planning to make a wearable muslin with a floral sheet from Goodwill, followed by a silk voile version (lined of course) for a wedding Sept 6. I suspect bust darts are in my future. Your fit on this one looks so perfect–flattering and fitted, yet not skintight.

Ryann

August 4, 2014 #

Lovely – and I find it so fun to see posts like this – one pattern designer making/wearing another designer’s design. Good support of your fellow indie designers as well as fodder for my future makes.

Sarai

August 5, 2014 #

Totally. It’s an ecosystem! The more people that shop indie, the better.

ebony

August 4, 2014 #

So, so lovely! I’ve always loved your original, floral print Lonsdale, and now this one! Total vintage glamour gorgeousness.

michelle frain

August 4, 2014 #

what a stunning dress so low key yet chic
I would love to make this myself

Julia Bobbin

August 4, 2014 #

FLAWLESS!! This is my favourite that I’ve seen. What a minx!

Sophie

August 4, 2014 #

Gah! So dreamy. And sophisticated but casual at the same time.

SizeMode

August 4, 2014 #

Stunning!

Linda P

August 5, 2014 #

this is making me think I should have a go at this dress. I do love a bit of “on show” shoulder

Sarai

August 5, 2014 #

Me too. I love showing legs or shoulders, they’re my favorite body parts (on myself, that is).

Jenny

August 5, 2014 #

I’ve been wearing a Lonsdale I made with embroidered black linen all summer. But now I think I might need to track down some white pique and make a white one, too!

Amanda

August 5, 2014 #

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! I ADORE this dress, and I am totally planning to copy you in two ways – one: a white cotton sundress; I’m making a white cotton Lily, and two: a slim-skirted Lonsdale in a yellow and white cotton voile – there’s nothing that says summer to me more than a dress like this, it’s just perfect :)

Did you draft the slimmer skirt or use the skirt from another dress pattern? I’m debating which way to go on this one :)

Sarai

August 5, 2014 #

I drafted it, if I remember correctly (it was a few years ago, and I used the same pattern pieces for this one).

Francesca

August 7, 2014 #

I adore Sophia Loren! She is also very funny, which I always attribute to a high degree of intelligence. Your dress is beautiful. I love the white.

Ines

August 7, 2014 #

Wow. You look fabulous in that dress. Honest. That pattern is a keeper for you. Really flattering.

Sarah

August 21, 2014 #

This is super fab. Did you draft the skirt by modifying the original Lonsdale skirt pattern pieces (slimming it down and adding darts) or did you scrap them and start from scratch? Forgive the newbie question but how exactly does one add darts to an existing pattern?

Sarai

August 21, 2014 #

You know, it’s hard to remember because I did it a couple years ago. But I seem to recall that I drafted the skirt from scratch, then overlayed the existing pattern onto it for the pocket shape.