Seamwork Killian Dress

I’ve been a member of Seamwork pretty much since it started. I have so many credits I don’t know what to do with them, but I love it when new patterns are released and I can plan how to make my version.

The Killian dress is a pattern that didn’t grab me initially, but I came back to it when I was planning my summer wardrobe. I knew I wanted to make a button down gingham dress, and was originally thinking about the Megan Nielsen Darling Ranges. Killian is similar to Darling in lots of ways, but has a bit more ease through the body and also has a member bonus of a gathered puff sleeve, which I couldn’t resist.

The fabric I wanted to use was this gingham linen-viscose blend that has been in my stash for a few years. I’ve been really anxious to use this, as linen gingham seems expensive / hard to acquire, but I decided to just get on with it before it got damaged or moth eaten. I only had 2 metres, so couldn’t squeeze on the full length gathered sleeves and had to crop them to elbow length. I also had to cut my facings from some spare white linen, which actually is a great idea as it means the gingham isn’t showing through to the main fabric.

The dress is simple, with a darted bodice and gathered skirt. It came together quickly and easily. As the fabric was so tight, I couldn’t really pattern match successfully. I made sure the gingham across the bodice lined through, but that was about the extent of it. Also, as I was sewing it, I noticed that the fabric was warping quite a lot. It has a pretty loose weave and wasn’t very stable to sew with.

I chose wooden buttons, mainly because I had them to hand, but I think they are alright. I’m really pleased with the finished dress and it has been worn a lot through the second half of the summer. I’m not sure how well this one will transition into Autumn and Winter, but I will definitely be digging it out again as soon as Spring comes around next year!