Adapted Wartime Dress

A few months ago I was on the hunt for a dress that was suitable for work, but wasn't black or made out of really thick material. The shops didn't delivery quite what I had in mind so I decided to take this pattern and turn it from a semi-casual jersey dress to something a little bit smarter. 

I always make it difficult for myself (unintentionally); this pattern is designed for jersey, but I wanted a more fitted finish, so I used a non-stretch fabric. Because the pattern is made to be slightly more casual and less fitted, I had to make three fundamental changes:

1) I added a zip underneath my left arm, so that I could actually get in and out of the dress

2) I had to take some of the material out of the front bodice panel; I made it a little shorter from top to bottom. If I was making this pattern out of jersey (like I was supposed to) this extra fabric would have draped over nicely and made it very flattering. However, because I was making it out of a slightly stiffer fabric, that extra bit of fabric would have poofed out and looked pretty weird.

3) I also took some material out of the front skirt so that the gathers weren't there. I just took in the side seams at the top, which maybe isn't the most professional way of doing it, but it seemed to work out just fine for me :)

I chose to use a medium weight polycotton, somewhat similar to a tea towel... you laugh, it has been commented on. My only trouble with using this type of fabric was that it frayed constantly and I don't have an overlocker at the moment (it's on my list), so I had to do some careful zigzag stitching along the edges in places.

TIP: Although I used a non-stretch fabric, I did choose one with a little 'give' - I'd suggest this to get the best results.

Don't be scared to experiment!

And i'd love to see your creations, so please do share them!