birthday dress

I made a tradition of sewing a new dress for my birthday, and this year I had a clear vision.

I knew I wanted a fairy tale dress.

I knew right away that this dress needed to look pretty but be very practical. I live in Denmark, so every item I make should be easily layered. The skirt must be midi because the “breeze” is unforgivable, and I am not Marilyn Monroe. The fabric should have a print that can be worn in any season because here, each season is the same: windy and rainy.

The fabric I chose was something I already had. In the spring, I ordered three meters of fabric from a German shop because I wanted to test the quality of their fabrics. I knew it was too good to be true, and I was not surprised by its quality. The fabric is a beautiful lightweight cotton. However, the print is terrible; it looks like someone took a picture of a flower print and then printed that picture on the fabric. I knew that I had to use it for a busy garment, and the focus should be on the item itself.

The pattern I used is the same because I managed to create a bodice block for myself years ago that doesn’t require a zipper and is quite comfortable. Recently, I got into pattern-making and purchased a very useful book called “Metric Pattern Cutting for Women’s Wear” by Winifred Aldrich, which taught me more in-depth details about creating a bodice block and different styles for sleeves. I chose puffy sleeves to ensure that my fairy tale dress would have that look. I also modified the neckline because I wanted to be able to tie it into a bow.

The days went by, and I was so afraid to cut into the fabric because I was on the limit with everything. My usual approach is to cut all the bodice parts first, followed by the sleeves, arranging and rearranging the pattern on the fabric. My main focus is to ensure that I have enough fabric for the skirt as well. In the end, I made sure to divide my skirt according to my measurements, and since I work with a fabric width of 150 cm, I cut 2 pieces measuring 150 cm x 50 cm and then 3 pieces measuring 150 cm x 25 cm.

The two big rectangles form the first tier of the skirt, while the other three parts should make up the second gathered tier. If I don’t have enough fabric for the skirt, I am using only 2 rectangles measuring 150 cm x 75 cm.

I finished the dress the night before my birthday, and although I was skeptical about the print, I believe I made good use of this fabric. However, I was sad because I didn’t have enough scraps to make a matching scrunchie.

I woke up craving kimchi, and I quickly managed to convince my boyfriend to be the driver. Of course, the weather was cloudy in Vejle, though I don’t think I’ve ever visited Vejle on a sunny day. I ate a jar of kimchi at Albuen Strand, and by the time we got home, it started pouring rain.

So on my birthday, I felt like a princess floating on clouds.