So excited to show you all my new Ruby Dress made from Rae Hoekstra's pattern and sewn with her new fabric line Lotus Pond!!!
You all know how much I adore Rae and all her creative talents and endeavors so I'm super happy to be part of the Lotus Pond Tour that's going around on right now. If you haven't seen Lotus Pond for the fabulous Cloud 9 Fabrics you must get your hands on some! It's fresh, fun, and....well...just plain scrumptious! I love every print I've seen! Plus the quality of Cloud 9 Fabrics is fabulous as well as Rae's aesthetically pleasing uses of her color palette! I cannot wait to get some more to whip up some new outfits for the kids.
But instead of sewing for them this time this momma needed a new summer frock to wear. I wanted something a) comfy b) vacation ready c) something I could throw on over a bathing suit or easily pair with a fab pair of leggings & boots/shoes. Enter the Ruby Dress. A quick and easy sew that fulfilled all my holiday requests. We're going on our first vacay in years this summer and I will be lake/pool side for 7 days and could easily imagine the Ruby Dress being a staple part of my holiday wardrobe. Plus Rae just looks so darn cute in hers (see the Ruby page here) I couldn't resist channelling my inner Rae :) I sewed mine up with Fluttering Fields (bottom portion) and Meadow Blossoms White (upper portion) from Lotus Pond.
I made my Ruby Dress with Size Large Bust and an XL for the bottom portion. I got a great fit on the upper portion which was my biggest fear. I didn't want the bust area to pull or distortion due to the size of my ahem....girls. Well Rae gives you an upper bust and a bust measurement to go by, as well as hip so I found this dress easy to accommodate my body shape. I used my lazy man's hip seam again - aka, did a 1/4" seam allowance instead of a 1/2" as called for. I like doing this sometimes when I want a tad more ease (this pattern calls for 4" of ease for comfort) and I don't feel like I need to go up a full size in the pattern.
I love that this dress is so versatile! I was bad and already wore this before the photo shoot. In fact I wore it a few hours I finished sewing it.
I paired it with my dark denim skinny jeans, my new fave shoes (see them HERE), and my never leave the house without light coral cardigan. I also could see this in my closet with my grey capri leggings, or in the fall paired with full length leggings and my fave boots with a handmade cardi. A sign of a great pattern :) I do need a new belt though. I noticed a lot of people belt their Ruby Dresses and this is a cute look! I just have bad juju trying to buy belts. They never look right on me and hit me in my trouble spot so I'll be on the lookout for one to pair with this as well.
Overall if you've got a bust and curves and wondered if you could pull off the Ruby I say go for it! Play around with your sizing and have some fun! I hemmed mine a heckuva lot shorter than the pattern size states to show off the legs to slim my overall body. I think mine is about 2" - 2 1/2" above the knee and I'm a shorty at 5'4".
A big congrats to my lovely friend Rae on another wonderfully inspiring collection! You consistently amaze me with your talents m'dear. Thank you sooooo much for having me along!!! Sending big Canadian hugs my way to you luv <3
DRESS: Ruby Dress from Made by Rae
SIZE MADE: Size Large for upper portion and XL for the lower portion.
MODIFICATIONS: Used a 1/4" seam allowance for the bottom portion and cut and hemmed the dress shorter.
FABRIC: Fluttering Fields (bottom portion) and Meadow Blossoms White (upper portion) from Lotus Pond by Rae Hoekstra for Cloud 9 Fabrics
Have any of you made a Ruby Dress yet? Have you got your hands on some Lotus Pond yet? Are you planning on making any vacation outfits? Let's chat - coffee's on....