Lace Be Honest, You Love A Bad Pun, Too, Right?

Bloody hell, it's been eight months since I last posted a dress I'd made? 

Time for me to pull my finger out!

In my Sewlutions round-up post I introduced the "Lace Be Honest" dress, which is a dress I wear at least twice a week. Since that post, she's had pockets added to her, and a whole three months after actually constructing the garment - I finally got Gareth to take some pictures!

Quite frankly, the dress is almost exactly the same as my Homage To A Mad Old Lady dress, the Butterick B5880 bodice and pleated dirndl are there, however this dress features lovely little 2-inch box pleats instead of the Homage's knife pleats.

The dress is fully lined in a nice crisp black cotton, which creases with no effort, but does keep the pleats looking beautiful. Silver linings, and all.

The lace overlay was from the bargain box at my local fabric shop, Rolls and Rems in Holloway at the absolute bargain price of £8.99 for just over three meters -which is an amazing price considering the lace is £7 a meter as it is! I want to say it's natural because it is just the loveliest, softest lace overlay I've seen that isn't guipure, but sadly the burnt-on lace on my iron says otherwise (Who else ruins irons really, really quickly?).

The lace edge is a really pretty scallop border - I cut my lining just a few centimeters shorter than the lace to show the edging off clearly, which is my favourite way of hemming anything because A. it's pretty B. it's easy and B. it's easy and I'm really lazy.

Also - POCKETS. Have I fully expressed my love for pockets on here yet? Because I LOVE POCKETS. Screw everyone that makes dresses and skirts without pockets - where else will us laydeez put our knives? I make sure to tell everyone who shoes any interest in my clothes that they have pockets - and I particularly like the pockets on this dress! I used the scalloped edging for the top of the pocket, to match the hem (and I like scallops) and they were hand-stitched on with help from this tutorial from By Gum By Golly, and you know when you get your stitches perfect and they're invisible? YEAH, BABES. I CAN DO THAT.

I was impressed with myself. Don't judge me. And pockets give me the capslock.

This is my "Disney Princess meets cold Regents Park meets laughs too much when looking into the camera" pose. Aw yeah.

But seriously. I love this dress.

Fabric: 
Black Lace Overlay
Black Cotton

Pattern: 
Butterick B5880
& Self drafted skirt

Pattern Alterations:
Omitted neckline notches, graded up bodice size, replaced sarong skirt with pleated dirndl and patch pockets.

Notions: Invisible zip (which is actually pink and not quite invisible)(stash), bias tape waist stay (stash) and thread (I already had that, too).

Make again?: Honestly, I want to say no. I want to say no because this is the second version I've made - but in fact there's a third in progress already - I KNOW.

Final Verdict: I adore this dress. I will wear it until the seams finally give up on me - I seriously love it that much. I love how the bodice looks on me, how it sits on my waist, how it flares out, and I absolutely adore the lace. I want one in every colour. (By every colour I mean in red. Maybe navy. We've talked about my colour fear before...) 

SO. My darlings - I'm finally getting around to photographing my last makes of 2013 (Ugh, always late!) and actually getting down to sewing some of my first makes of 2014 (Ugh, again, so late) - But more on that later! What are your thoughts my darlings?

And how do you like the photos? They're gorgeous, aren't they? In a totally non-vain way, my boyfriend just happens to be a great photographer, I'd say! Big thank you to Gareth! ♥

Well. Enjoy your weekend my darlings!

Melody ♪