Happy August! Time for back-to-school prepping, unbearable heat, and weekends spent making matching dog clothing. Maybe that last part is just me 😊. I’ve been looking for a reason to make the Hughes Dress by Friday Pattern Company for a while, and I got my reason when I received this lovely soft-washed 100% linen from Minerva. It’s a perfect fabric for all seasons and is ideal for Hughes’ romantic design. I was even able to make a matching Butano head scarf for me and a dress for Habibi from the scrap fabric.
The fabric I used was the Minerva Exclusive Poppy Field Soft Washed 100% Linen. This digitally printed, medium-weight linen is a little stiff at first. But after I laundered it, the fabric was buttery soft and vibrant. I’m really looking forward to how this fabric relaxes with time. Linen is one of my favorite fabrics to work with because of how it ages. While many synthetic fabrics get weaker and shoddier with age, the natural fibers in linen just get cozier, more lived-in, and luxurious.
During a recent summer sale, I took advantage of the 25% off and purchased the printed Hughes Dress pattern directly from Friday Pattern Company. Usually, I work with pdf patterns and print them myself, so this was a nice change. I cut the pattern pieces a size larger than normal, because I knew the bodice would be lined and I was unsure how tight it would be. Well, my fears were unwarranted. If anything, I should probably size down the pattern. I, at least, need to tweak the fit of the bodice more. While I like the look as-is, I know that I could improve the fit with some simple tweaks. I especially need to size down the sleeves. I don’t know what I was thinking.
When making Habibi’s matching dress, I had a very simple idea in mind – a ruffled skirt and ruffle sleeves. My baby girl was such a good fit model! She patiently dealt with me repeatedly dressing, checking the fit, and undressing her. When we finally got to a fit she liked, she climbed on me and gave me kisses! She’s seriously the perfect model. I used a strip of soft Velcro on her dress closure and bias tape around the neckline and arm holes. I wanted to add strength to these areas without adding bulk, so bias tape was the perfect solution.
