Today I am really excited to share my new Sew Over It Nicole Dress made in this gorgeous Dashwood Studio bird print rayon challis.

Pattern & Construction

I have not made the Sew Over It Nicole Dress and was both excited and a little nervous to sew this one up! The Nicole Dress is described as a classic shirt dress with buttons to the hem, collar and collar stands, midi a-line skirt, bust and waist darts and the choice of a gathered or panelled skirt. The skirt also comes with pockets, although I decided to omit those. The pattern comes with two styles of sleeves: short sleeved or a classic long cuff sleeve. I decided on a long sleeve since I made the dress in the winter and plan on wearing it straight away.

The Sew Over Nicole Dress comes in UK Size 6 (34” bust, 33” waist and 36” hips) to Size 30 (62” bust, 59” waist and 62” hips). I spent a bit of time deciding what size to make. Typically, I will make a size 10 in the bust and grade up to size 12 in the hips, but reviewing the finished garment sizing it suggested that a straight size 10 would be a good fit. I trusted the pattern and although sceptical, the dress fit me really well! I think it helps that the skirt naturally starts to flare out into an a-line skirt and gives the space in the hips.

I would recommend this pattern for an intermediate sewist as there are a lot of techniques such as sewing the collar, finishing the cuffed sleeve opening with bias binding, sewing cuffed sleeves and creating a button placket. I have done these techniques on a few blouse patterns prior to sewing the Nicole Dress so it was not so intimidating and I’ve had the trail and error previously. I found the instructions really clear and was surprised how quickly the dress came together. The longest task for me was to hand stitch the buttonholes (still too scared to try buttonholes on my machine). I also let the hem hang for a few days incase the fabric dropped.

Fabric

The Nicole Dress can be made in a viscose or crepe fabric for a more drapey and fluid look or cotton poplin, lawn or linen for a structured look. My chosen fabric is a beautiful drapey rayon challis so falls more into creating the flowy look.

I love Dashwood Studio fabrics! They are fun, bright and have such quirky prints. If I get the opportunity to sew with Dashwood I will! I have been exploring and adding more green into my wardrobe. I made a Christmas top on a whim last year in a green fabric and was pleasantly surprised how nice green looked against my skin. The fabric is a lovely fluid rayon that is lovely to wear, but takes a little time to sew with as it does tend to move around when cutting and sewing. I recommend lots of pins and sharp scissors!

Summary

Overall, I am really happy with how my dress turned out! I found the final dress to be stylish, beautifully draped and very chic. I love the midi style, but think I may make a few with shorter hems for my work wardrobe. I don’t wear heels often and worry that my legs and ankles look a bit dumpy in a midi hem with flat shoes (very vain I know!). I absolutely love this fabric and the pattern! I can see this dress being a favourite in my wardrobe and I will definitely be making more Nicole Dresses in 2024!

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