Written by This story is about two beautiful sisters who were born a few months apart; one to accompany me in Palma de Mallorca, and the other to accompany the first one.
I started my obsession with gingham fabrics quite unexpectedly. At the start of the summer, I began noticing it everywhere, even though it had been a popular pattern since the previous year.
During the winter, I visited Stof 2000 in Odense while on the hunt for plain cotton poplin, a fabric perfect for crafting structured items. To my surprise, I stumbled upon their gingham collection, which featured a wide variety of colors. The light blue one immediately caught my eye, and I knew I had to get some. I purchased three meters of it, fully aware that the color wasn’t suitable for winter, so I also bought another three meters of fabric, this time in black. I knew they would come in handy for creating more garments, although I didn’t have any specific plans for what I should make with them.
The Blue Sister
The Blue dress is the older one. It features a lovely round neckline, short sleeves, and a two-tiered skirt made from a substantial amount of fabric. Since I work with fabric that has a width of 150 cm, her skirt is made from two pieces measuring 150 cm x 50 cm and three pieces measuring 150 cm x 25 cm. The two large rectangles form the first tier of the skirt; they were sewn together, gathered, and then attached to the bodice. The other three pieces were pinned together to create a larger tube, which was then sewn, gathered, and finally attached to the first tier. This method guaranteed that I achieved the perfect twirly dress.
However, it was a bit challenging to work with the gingham pattern. It demanded more attention and patience than I had anticipated. Unfortunately, I failed to create a straight waistline, and I only realized my mistake after completing the garment, which was quite frustrating.
A quick tip:
When working with patterned fabrics, aligning the waistline of your bodice block with the pattern and avoiding cutting on the fold can help ensure that the pattern flows seamlessly across your garment, preventing any misalignment or distortion.
The Black Sister
Because I loved the fabric so much, I wanted to create another similar dress. I tried pairing the Blue one with sneakers and a cozy sweater, but I always felt like they didn’t go well together. This led me to plan the Black one. The fabric is identical, the pattern is the same, and the only change I made was to the skirt. I sewed together two rectangles measuring 150 cm x 75 cm, gathered them, and then attached them to the bodice.
Since I didn’t have the chance to bring the Black dress with me to Mallorca, I decided to take it to Vejlby Strand and wear it for a walk on a beautiful sunny day at the beach paired with my trusty Birkenstocks.
She is also perfect for riding my bike.
P.S. I think this song is perfect for these two sisters.
The process of creating these two dresses taught me that, to make a garment, you have to envision it first: think about what you will wear it with, where you’ll wear it, and when. This is because it’s so easy to choose the wrong fabric or, even worse, the wrong colour. I never realized the significant impact these choices could have, and to be honest, I’m a bit hesitant to try new patterns now. I’ve managed to source a large pile of fabric this summer, but I haven’t found the courage to venture beyond my familiar cotton fabrics and my beloved bodice block. It’s a pattern I’m proud of because it doesn’t require any zippers and is incredibly comfortable.
Overall, while I have many dresses made in this style, each one is unique and has taught me valuable lessons that will be very useful in the future.
Anca GV 