Sewing the Jasper dress last weekend two weeks ago inspired me to sew a Lola so I could compare… and would you believe that I also made this one too big and had to cut it down? I’m not a quick learner, apparently.
The first thing I remembered about Lola is “Damn, there are a lot of pieces!” Because the skirt is separate from the bodice, there are suddenly twice as many pattern pieces. I made the mistake of adding a smidge of fabric to each, which is how it came to be baggy… so I cut off the skirt, narrowed down all the princess seams, and reattached. I should have just cut things out as is!
Meet Bounce! My parents are dog-sitting him, and he is a very attractive and friendly photo prop!
I piped the raglan seems with fold-over elastic, like I did for my favourite Lola here. I ran out of black elastic, so I didn’t pipe the waistband… then when it came out huge and baggy, I resewed it with green FOE inside on the waist seam. FOE to the rescue! I use it so much, and almost never for it’s intended folding purposes.
I bought this double knit locally, inspired by a great winter dress Malora made herself in similar fabric. I tried to keep the dress simple and neutral s that I can wear it with my rainbow of leggings: purple, red, turquoise, teal, or these forest green ones. (Which makes me think: I should really make some pink winter leggings!)
Confession time: The neckline gapes, but I couldn’t take it in because of the piping… so I made a huge scarf instead! I bought the plaid at a second-hand store recently, because every winter I wish I had a plaid scarf… and on a whim, I backed it with cream and coral striped jersey! The cream hat is one of my favourite things my sister has ever knit me.
Back to the dress. When I first tried the pattern, I made two big fitting changes: I had to slash-and-spread the sleeve to make more room for my shoulders, and dropped the curving waist seam further down in the back so it actually hit the curve of my back. I like the pocket design a lot, but I skipped it here for a more streamlined look.
I finished the dress in time to wear it to my parents, so that I could get pictures that aren’t on my balcony or in my hallway for a change. It was a fun excuse to take some pics of my family. Do you end up with a million pictures of yourself, and none of your nearest and dearest? I sure do!
This is a solid make, and I’ve worn it already – but it’s not exciting. I’ve had this post ready for a week without publishing it, which is never a good sign! I”m hoping that this will be my last winter make, and from now on I’m sewing in spring colours even the snow is still thick on the ground!
Crafting A Rainbow 
I LOVE these photos! You are adorable, the dog is adorable, the dress is adorable – it’s sunny (for a change). Even the snow isn’t bothering me.
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Hehehe – the pics are basically the only reason I bothered to post! When you rope your family into photography and they do a good job, ya gotta post the pics! 🙂
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It’s fabulous! I also really like that scarf. Is the plaid flannel?
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I wish it was! it’s… um… wool or poly or poly AND wool, and I’m ashamed to say I can’t tell the difference! 😉
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Great props, great dress & scarf, great daughters!
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Did I see on twitter that Bounce has gone home? It was nice to get to see him a few times, but I’m sure you’ll be happy not to have bloody paws around anymore… Thanks for your help with the camera and the pics!
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It’s wonderful! So cozy! I recently went to a sew expo and finally picked up some awesome thick terry knit to make a Lola. You are inspiring me to start working on the pattern today!
MaLora Ann
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The ciiiiiircle of life….. the wheel of inspiration… I copid your fabric, you copy my dress! I love it!
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Love it! The tweediness of the fabric is really nice and I like how it goes with all of your tights and leggings.
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Thanks Sarah!
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I LOVE the styling in this outfit. It looks so cute with the hat, scarf and accent leggings.
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I love this dress and the scarf is awesome!! That is one massive puppy you are posing with too! Bummer about the neckline but the scarf looks so great with it, it doesn’t matter!
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Ooh, motivation to get to work on my own Lola that’s sitting in the office ready to be taped together. This dress looks fantastic on everyone, I swear it’s magical. I second the pink leggings idea!
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super cute! Inspires me to go make a Lola right now! I love your fabric choice and styling.
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Bounce looks so much like my last Dane, Tasha. He is wonderful. Thank you for happy memories.
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the herringbone knit is lovely and suits the Lola well ;o)
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Love this! Looks so stylish and cozy. That dog is beautiful!
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That is so smart, using elastic like piping! I wish I’d read this before I made a Lola recently! Also, I want to steal that big ol dog monster!
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Lovely dress, looks super stylish, and comfy too. And what great, snow shots! That dog is adorable 🙂
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You are so stinkin cute! Those basics make great backdrops for all our fun accessories. That scarf is super adorable as well. Fun stuff.
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Such a fun photo shoot! Cute dress and I love it with the hat, scarf, & bright tights! I bet you will want to wear it more next winter – you’re just ready for Spring at this point. =)
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Woo, mixing stripes and plaid!! It might not be exciting, but it does sound like you were really smart about the color choice, since you can have lots of fun with colored leggings and accessories! The dog is pretty cute, too. (And huge!)
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Great dress, I love that fabric and the pop of black at the shoulders is perfect!
Also, I’m totally copying that fab scarf. I recently bought a remnant of soft plaid flannel because I loved it, but had no idea what to do with such a small piece. But now I know, I just have to find some matching striped jersey. Thanks for the inspiration! (And here’s to making the last warm clothes of the year, hopefully!)
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I loved the playing with the dog in the snow photos. This was a great end of winter sewing project. Now get out the spring prints.
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Super cute! I love this and love how you’ve styled it! I’ve been meaning to sew myself a plaid flannel circle scarf all winter, but, lazy. 😀 It’s pretty hard to muster any enthusiasm for winter sewing these days, but hopefully you’ll enjoy wearing this next winter. 🙂
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That’s a really cute fabric, great background for some coloured tights and accessories. And fun pics!
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You are adorable! Cute dress!
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I think everything about this outfit is adorable and perfect!! I hope you get more wear out of it than you expect, it combines cozy and chic in a very flattering way. : ) I even envy the deep snow in the background – I’m writing this from an 80*F room and daydreaming about floral scraps to turn into infinity scarves now!
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