A Cream Hawthorn

Hello, friends!

I’m excited to share this dress! It’s not another UFO project, but it is one that I’ve been planning to make for about two winters now.  Eeeek! It’s done!  And just in time for it to be too warm for me to want to wear it!

Source: Colette Patterns

This is the Colette Hawthorn.  I’ve made it a few times for myself and once for my MIL.  It’s a beautiful dress pattern with a 1960’s flair.  I really wish Colette was still designing patterns like this.  I guess retro styles aren’t part of their design aesthetic any longer as they cater to quick beginner patterns.  Oh well, that just means I need to start sewing more of my vintage patterns!

So this dress didn’t turn out exactly as I would have wished.  Most of it has to do with this fabric.  It’s a Marc Jacobs slubbed cotton sateen with a tiny herringbone weave that I bought a while back from Fabric Mart.  It wrinkles so much.  More so than any other cotton fabric that I’ve used apart from seersucker.  The only way I could get it to look crisper was to starch it, which I did after this dress was completed.  This fabric is probably also a wee bit heavier than what should be used for this dress pattern.

It also appears that it’s pulling on my bust.  I haven’t had that problem with this pattern before, so perhaps it’s the weight of the fabric or perhaps the bra I’m wearing.  Or both.  It’s not doing it on my dress form, so I’m thinking it’s more likely the latter.

The cuff pieces of my pattern are missing, so I drafted my own.  And after I did so, I remembered that I had contacted Colette a couple of years ago about that piece and they had sent me a new one.  Of course, I remembered this after the fact.  The res.t of the finishing for this Hawthorn follows the pattern instructions.  I used the facings (which I’ve omitted in the past) and top-stitched everything

I did my usual swayback adjustment to the back bodice piece and enlarged the sleeves to accommodate my full biceps.  I also enlarged the armscyes a tad bit.  In addition to those normal alterations, I added about an inch to the skirt.

All in all, I’m very happy with it.  I’ve been wanting an ivory shirt dress, so I have one now.  This also marks another garment off of my fall/winter sewing list.  I’ve been in need of dresses for colder weather and I’m glad to have another longer sleeved dress in my closet.  I’ll look forward to pairing this dress with tights and a sweater when it gets cold again.  It’s been in the lower 70’s (F) here lately, so I’m into spring/summer sewing right now.

Happy Sewing!

• Dress:  Colette Hawthorn in Marc Jacobs cotton sateen, made by me
• Shoes:  Aerosoles
• Earrings:  BaubleBar