linen tunic smocky dress thing

Or maybe you can just call it a muu-muu (moo-moo? mumu? moooooooooo. mooooooooooo.) A couple weeks ago, I absolutely fell in love with this dress that Fanja of le train fantôme made. It's just gorgeous. (As is her blog.) She used a vintage pattern but I said to myself "oh, I don't need a pattern. I'll just figure it out as I go along; it can't be too difficult." Erm, vaulting ambition o'erleaping itself and all that. My first version, which I had luckily decided to make out of muslin, had armholes so small I couldn't fit my arms through. That will never do.



I eventually got it to look like I wanted, and Twin had the nice idea to use the inverted pleat instead of gathering to make it look a little less moo-moo-y.


The linen I got thanks to the tip from Liesl about Grayline Linens. The store is just nine blocks from my office! EEE! I went at lunch on Friday and I was just giddy. I think the fellow cutting my fabric got the wrong impression because I had this big goofy grin on my face. No, I am not salivating over your bulging pectorals, young man, I am salivating over this linen. (ok, I guess I did notice his fine physique, but I was MUCH more interested in the linen.)



I thought the selvage was so beautiful I used it instead of a regular hem.


And here's the rest of my haul. I am always drawn to the neutral, brown-y tones but I have such a hard time wearing them because I am so fair-skinned. I was happy to find the beautiful blue, which does not make me look like the walking dead. Quite the reverse.



And now I leave you with a peep. PEEP!!