Skip to main content

Made by a Fabricista: Liesl + Co Tropical Terrace Dress

By

 All of the sudden it.is.hot in the south eastern U.S. and I am ready to wear breezy, easy dresses like this one all summer.  I am over the moon with this dress, it was the perfect marriage of fabric choice and pattern....and that definitely doesn't always happen for me!

I snapped up this cotton shirting from Fabric Mart putting my request in as soon as I saw it listed.  I loved the color scheme, I am a huge fan of royal blue and black.  Also, I think its safe to say that I have a thing for palm tree dresses based on my October project last year.
So here I am again, wearing palm trees and loving it!

The shirting is all sold out but I think that its safe to say that any large scale novelty print or solid would work best for this dress.  I tried making it up in a small scale plaid and I'm not as pleased with the out come as I was in this case.  So I chose a few of Fabric Marts fabrics as suggestions...this challis is tropical and beautiful, this cotton poplin would be adorable with the border at the hem, and any of the solid color linens would look fantastic. 

For summer, its ideal to have a light/medium weight breathable fabric that isn't sheer.  It gets so balmy and sweaty here that its a must that I have dresses like this one that breath and move and allow flow of air around a body.  And cotton shirting and linens are great choices. 



The Liesl + Co Terrace dress is a pretty easy make, there are no zippers, no buttons, no closures of any kind and its cinched and given shape by the included obi belt.  I love the shape, I'm an A-line fan and the slight stiffness of this shirting helps the dress hold its A-line skirt shape.  The pockets are great of course and the instructions very well laid out.  The only change I made to the pattern with my second version was to lower the bust dart roughly an inch. 




I've already worn this dress to a party barn picnic, a birthday party and a kindergarten graduation, a fantastic dress can take you all the way through a bucket of events and keep going.  This is definitely such a dress!

Thanks for reading!
Happy Sewing!
Elizabeth

Comments

  1. VirginieJune 2, 2018 at 9:29 AM

    Great dress! When I first saw that pattern I thought it was a bit plain, but your version in that fabric make it special! Great fit also, and it's like the perfect summer dress!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ElizabethJune 2, 2018 at 4:37 PM

      Thank you! It really has been so much fun to wear and I love a summer project that doesn’t take a month of weekends to complete.

      Delete
  2. Ann BrodskyJune 3, 2018 at 11:58 AM

    That is a super cute dress! Love your fabric choice- I missed that one! Looks like you've found the perfect dress for summer.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Recent Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: A Fresh Take on a Classic Shirt Dress

By
Summer has arrived! That means longer days, soaring temps, and the perfect excuse for me to add another linen garment to my wardrobe.  Lightweight linen and summer weather just go together, don’t you agree? That’s why I choose this striped linen for my next Fabricista make. Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews ready to share my summer dress with you.  The tiny blue and white stripes combined with navy buttons give it a bit of coastal charm, while the details make it anything but a traditional shirt dress.  The fabric is a Ralph Lauren 100% shirt weight linen. The stripes are so small that from a distance the fabric almost looks like a solid color. One advantage of those small stripes is that I didn’t worry about whether they matched as I would have with a wider stripe :-)  The pattern I choose is McCall’s 8556, a shirtdress that, instead of a typical straight silhouette, has a gathered bodice, a fitted waistband that sits just above the waist, short, c...
3 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Mechanic Chic!

By
When it comes to buying ready-to-wear garments as a sewist, I only ever spend in three categories: heavy duty winter jackets (life in Maine!), bras… and jumpsuits! I love a good jumpsuit, but unfortunately the ones I used to buy have been impacted by the tariff situation and I can’t get them affordably anymore. This can only mean one thing, folks: it’s time to roll up my sleeves and sew my very first jumpsuit!  When I started planning for this project, I knew I wanted to use a heavyweight linen for cozy comfort in the fall and breathability in the summer. I wanted something that would wear beautifully and soften with age, and something with neutral tones that could go with everything. Naturally, when I came across this 100% linen canvas on Fabric Mart, my heart skipped a beat! I love the ikat-inspired geometry and something about it reminds me of leopard spots too. Bold yet wearable! I am pretty sure this fabric was intended for home decor which I don’t mind at all and in fact of...
5 comments
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Tried and true summer basics that fit.

By
Happy Summer Friends! As I am writing this, we are headed into a nasty heat wave…so the timing could not be better to share two of my favorite summer patterns and fabrics.  But first, let me tell you about the fail I had heading into this month’s blog… As Fabricista’s, we get to pick out fabric for each of our blog submissions. I fell in love with this gorgeous lilac jacquard knit that I thought would be perfect for a pop of color in my summer wardrobe. But I made a fatal error - I grabbed a pattern I haven’t made for years, quickly went up one size to account for a few new pounds, and sewed them up. And they don’t fit, will NEVER fit, and will never be worn. Sigh…when will I learn?? Here’s a flat lay pic so we can at least look at the lovely fabric: The lesson I learned (relearned!) is that just like with off the rack clothes, the things that worked well for me years ago don’t work well for me today.  And that’s the case with both tops and bottoms. So I went back to two patt...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »

Made By A Fabricista: Burnside Bibs

By
Hi everyone, this is Byrd with my latest Fabricista make! If you’re looking for the perfect handmade piece for spring and summer travel, these just might be it. This time around I’m sewing up the Burnside Bibs by Sew House Seven using Fabric Mart’s gorgeous Aquamarine/Umber Brown 100% Cotton Floral Artisan Batiks Jungle Dreams by Robert Kaufman. From the moment I saw this fabric, I was completely drawn in by the colors. The combination of aquamarine, brown, and cream feels both earthy and vibrant, making it perfect for warm weather sewing. I immediately knew it would make an incredible spring or summer garment. I’m a longtime fan of Robert Kaufman fabrics and always appreciate the quality and artistry behind the prints. As always, and especially because this is 100% cotton, I gave the fabric a thorough wash and dry before cutting into it. Trust me, I’ve learned the hard way over the years that addressing potential shrinkage before sewing is always worth the extra time. This blouse is...
Post a Comment
Continue Reading »