Each month during 2017 my friend Kylie and I are working on a sewing project together. For this month’s pattern we chose The Sew House Seven Tea House Dress. It’s described as a flattering and easy to wear style which has a variety of options for different looks.

I printed and put together the pattern (It’s 55 pages A4 pages) and chose view B. I cut a size 10 and made no alterations to the pattern.

The fabric I chose for the dress is a cotton/poly twill mix from my stash. The pattern asks for something lighter weight but I thought it would work well in this fabric as it has a reasonable drape. We are heading into winter to this dress is perfect for fall layering.

This pattern requires 3 meters of fabric, far more than I normally purchase. I managed to cut this dress out of 2.2 meters of 150 wide fabric. I find that most pattern companies are really wasteful with their fabric. Since learning about Zero Waste Fashion from Holly McQuillan I’ve tried to reduce my fabric waste as much as possible.

The pattern came together surprisingly quickly! I completed the dress in around 5 hours. I don’t normally wear v neck tops but I really like this one. I think it will be an excellent dress for winter layering. I look forward to styling it during Me Made May.

The dress can be tied two ways with the tie at the front or back. The Kimono sleeve and the wide belt have a Japanese vibe to them don’t you think?

Check out those pockets! Apologies for the shoes I just went to a dance class at the gym.

I love this dress! I will definitely make another one perhaps a more summery version later in the year. Here are some other versions which are very inspiring:

The German Edge has used a gorgeous floral print for her version perfect for garden parties and summer weddings.

Emi Shimokawa has made a lovely simple linen version in a deep navy. Perfect for summer.