Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing the Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress

Hey lovely friends! With summer knocking at the door, I am absolutely ready for breezy dresses at all times. I love linen all year round, but summer is my particular favorite for this fiber. This bright happy color fills me with delight, and it’s so perfect in the sunshine. 


For this project, I got all my supplies in one go! I chose this stunning Sea Green linen, lightweight fusible interfacing, ½” elastic, and of course, matching thread. If you haven’t sat down to create your own little sewing kit with all the bits at hand, it’s quite a nice gift to yourself and makes getting started that much easier. I’m all about ease these days. 

I sewed the new Chalk & Notch Hayes Dress with the open back cutout, which is View A. The other two options are a closed-back dress and a two piece set. I was a tester for this charming pattern, and I can confirm the two piece set is also gorgeous and really fun to wear. I have looked forward to sewing this version for weeks! 



Please laugh with me, I cracked up how much my hair covered the details. This is clearly an up-do-required sort of dress! 


I prewashed and dried my linen on low, then gave it the ol’ cursory pressing before cutting. I sewed a size 2 with the A/B bust and I made no alterations. I am 5’4” for reference, and I love where this midi skirt hits my frame. 

The is a fully lined bodice and sleeve style, and you can see how beautiful the armscye finish is here, really professional looking. The front V neckline also stands upright so nicely in doubled linen and you can certainly add interfacing there for floppier fabrics. 


The A-line skirt is unlined and features great big pockets that are anchored at the waistline and a lovely wide hem facing. I love the weight it adds to the hem, and helps the skirt hang marvelously. 

The elasticated waist ties and back cutout are so striking to me! I don’t have anything like this, and that is just a cute surprise in the back, and no worries about bra straps peeking out like I would with a low back style. Party in the back, people, but keep it comfortable. 



This linen is particularly soft versus crisp, and I love that. There is absolutely nothing stiff or scratchy about this; this linen is pure pleasure to wear. The color speaks for itself and I know I’ve nailed a project when I immediately look forward to wearing it. 

Happy summer sewing!

KATIE  @kak513

Comments

  1. Very cute dress!👗

    ReplyDelete
  2. I love all the details you included. That is sure your color!

    ReplyDelete
  3. So summery ,,,, both in color and style!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  4. You did a good job.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Amazing how some dresses can be worn with sandals and look like you belong in a botanical garden, but then also dressed with pearls for a wedding or with a blazer for work. This is one of those timeless classic dresses that is incredibly versatile. I do have some concerns about how it would translate onto a short figure with large bust, it doesn’t look forgiving. I think this particular style might be benefiting from your lovely willowy height and frame. The color is absolutely beautiful and uplifting, also very versatile. The back hole is just the right size.

    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.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Sheer Elegance and Everyday Comfort with my Two New Tops

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last Fabricista make for 2025. While many sew a special holiday outfit at year’s end, I went in another direction sewing two tops that couldn’t be more different. One is sheer and elegant while the other is easy comfort for everyday wear.  These tops reflect how I dress at this stage of life. As an over-50 sewist, these two tops reflect how I dress at this point in my life.  Sometimes I want something a bit special, other times more basic. Either way, sewing them in beautiful fabrics, custom fit to my body, makes all the difference in how I feel when I wear them. Even though I’m quite pleased with my two tops, my original plan was to sew a jacket with the tropical print stretch twill and pair it with a top sewn from the soutache mesh knit . Sadly, I wasn’t quick enough to get enough of the stretch twill to make a jacket, so a top it was!  You do know you have to act fast when you see something you love on Fabric ...

Made By A Fabricista: Sewing for a Florida Cold Snap with Fabric Mart Fabrics

Even here in Florida, we get the occasional cold weather surprise, and when temperatures dipped recently, I was very glad to have the perfect handmade outfit ready to go. For this month’s Fabricista make, I sewed up New Look pattern 6771, using two beautiful fabrics sent to me by Fabric Mart Fabrics. The Fabric & Pattern Choice New Look 6771 is a cozy two-piece set featuring a relaxed-fit top and pull-on pants—exactly the kind of pattern that works well for transitional weather. I chose to start with the top, using a brown animal print French terry from Fabric Mart, and it turned out to be an absolute dream to work with. The French terry was soft, substantial without being heavy, and handled beautifully at the machine . It had just the right amount of structure to highlight the pattern’s design details while still feeling comfortable and wearable. From cutting to pressing, this fabric behaved perfectly and elevated the final garment. The Top: A Total Win The top from New Look 677...

Made By A Fabricista: Closing 2025 with a Lined Jacket

Hello again, sewing friends! It seems we have arrived yet again in the grandest season for layering, all this oncoming cold weather. I like ending the year with something warm and very useful. Seems based on my past Fabricista posts, I love to sew year-end outerwear, and this round is no different!  I challenged myself with a new lined coat (wait, jacket? Coat? I feel like the presence of wool changes things?). Anyhoo, since the lovely Chalk & Notch Den Jacket has been in my queue, I proceeded ahead. I like the large pockets, the option to line or not, and the extra bodice and sleeve seams for topstitching.  Sewing this coat is not at all difficult, but the many pieces and loads of topstitching will take a bit of time. My version took me a few multiple-hour sessions to complete. I sewed a size 2, which matches my measurements, and I made no alterations. Hint: for a quick size test, just employ the lining pieces.  Gorgeous, muted blue as a soft wool flannel ? This is ...