All is rosy in an Elisalex

Elisalex in red roses dressHooray for Elisalex! I want to shout it from the rooftops! I am sooooo happy with this dress. Does it show?!

We had the loveliest day yesterday. Sunshine, park-life and the company of great friends. And the perfect day in fact for an Elisalex showcase!

Elisalex dress in rose print

This is the first independent pattern I have purchased. I’m mostly persuaded by the charm of a vintage pattern but having seen lots of gorgeous examples modelled recently I was totally sold on this dress.

Those girls over at By Hand London have my total respect. Not only does this dress look amazing on everyone who wears it, I kid you not when I say what a joy it is to make. Just one test garment and boom, on to the real one! No faffing, no head scratching and no time-consuming fussiness about it.

I know a few of you have voiced concern over the shape of the tulip skirt – and I have to admit, I did waver myself – but believe me, I am not of minimal hip or butt for sure and although the shape is all about that area, it flatters beyond belief! This is also the most easy to wear dress ever. Not out of place for a picnic but would also go down a treat at a wedding or a party or a shopping trip…

Elisalex dress in rose print

I made this one with a great score of stretch cotton fabric that I shared with Dolly Clacket, whilst on our Goldhawk Road shopping trip organised by House of Pinheiro. It’s totally machine washable and has enough stretch to fit so comfortably without losing shape anywhere at all. It was a dream to sew. Hardly fraying at all. The skirt is nipped in at the hem so that little bit of stretch helps for bigger walking steps too!

The only worry, working with this fabric was how to line the bodice. Given the stretch, I didn’t want an un-stretchy lining. And given the princess seams I wanted as smooth a finish on the inside as there was on the outside. Given that stretch lining doesn’t appear to exist anywhere on the planet I bit the bullet and self-lined. There was a minor moment of panic when I thought this just might make for too much bulk. Its heavier than your usual woven cotton which is great for the structure of the skirt… but it worked a treat!

This pattern is defo a keeper. Any dress that can be rustled up in a couple of evenings and makes me this happy is worth making again, and again… and again!

Elisalex the perfect picnic dress

Thank you, as always to my wonderful though crazy, dog-biscuit munching, talented photographer hubster, Daniel x

daniel eating dog biscuits

50 Replies to “All is rosy in an Elisalex”

  1. SWOON!! What a beautiful rendition of the wonderful Elisalex….and interesting to hear what you say about fabric used ( which is seriously adorable, and having some stretch too? Win!) you look fabulous and I know I say it every time, but I really must get my sewing plans Sussed as this needs bumping up my list!! Cool to see a quirky cameo of the mister behind the camera too 🙂

  2. Oh, how lovely. The print is perfect for this dress!

    I giggled at the dog-biscuit-munching husband… but I have a model-aeroplane-flying fiance, which is no less hilarious 🙂

    1. Depending on the brand, dog biscuits are surprisingly delicious. Tried one as a joke, once, and found that I liked it at least as well as some of the flavored snack crackers in my cupboard. Still, it was a guilty pleasure, and not one to indulge in when strangers or disapproving relatives were in the room. Haven’t owned a dog for 20 years, so no reason to keep dog biscuits about the joint. Not so much a fan of cat treats, as they are far too … fishy? Dead bird-y? Besides, the cat is selfish about his treats.

  3. What a lovely fabric! I’d never heard of these patterns, but I’m definitely checking them out now. Your dress looks great.

  4. Ever-stylish, Ms Ooo-bop! The lines and fabric go together brilliantly! Wish I could get Mr Cherry-pix to enjoy photography the way Mr Ooo-bop seems to!

  5. this is gorgeous! like cherrypix i wish my hubby saw blog pic taking as anything other than a complete chore! oh i am so going to have to buy this pattern!

  6. This post has been so informative to me because I have wanted to purchase this pattern and I have been so undecided, thinking that the tulip skirt would be an issue for my body shape. Thanks Janene for giving us all great advice and encouragement to give this lovely dress a go. Your fabric is divine and looks so good on you. I am going to a wedding in NZ in December and I have a lovely stretch cotton sateen which I think is going to work well now that I have read this post. Just to be clear, did you line the bodice with the same fabric as the outside bodice?

    1. Hi Marj. Thank you for your lovely comment. I think its a perfect dress for a wedding! I think stretch cotton sateen sounds wonderful too. Yes I did line the bodice with the same fabric. That way you can guarantee the fabric all stretches the same! Important to trim seams and clip curves though. I didn’t line the skirt, however. I cheated and bought a half slip! 😉

      1. Thanks again Janene for your help. I have the pattern ordered now and await it’s arrival in a week or so. Hopefully it will turn out as well as yours. I really value your posts and appreciate your honest views each month about the latest Burda issues. If I didn’t have to have a subscription to get Burda, I would not have bothered with the May issue. I have been getting Burda for so many years and every now and again they seem to go through a bad phase and then they wake up to themselves, so hopefully the designers are reading blogs such as yours and getting some feedback.

  7. Such a beautiful dress, Janine! I’m definitely going to check out their patterns. Great solution to the lining issue. I’ll have to remember that when I’m using a stretch fabric, something I wouldn’t have thought about doing. Always love your posts!!!
    Beth

  8. What a fabulous dress – perfect for picnics and sunny weather – I’m guessing that you didn’t cycle in it though with that hem! (Great colour for the bike!)

    1. Thank you Tamsin. lol… it’s my daughter’s bike! I did try but you are absolutely right. Not quite the hemline for cycling! 🙂

  9. Aww Janene, it is so so so fabulous. I’m halfway tempted to just copy you and use my half of this fabric to make an Elisalex – although I’m thinking it would also be a good Gertie wiggle dress. Decisions! In any case, I’m so glad we bought it, it’s fabulous fabric and you look truly gorgeous in the dress.

    1. And look, I’ve done it again – last time I thought I’d commented and hadn’t, this time I’ve commented twice because my work computer said it had been blocked as ‘webchat’..?! Anyway, it’s that gorgeous that it deserves commenting on again. And I meant ‘exceeded’, not ‘excelled’ – it’s been a long day….:)

      1. Oh the frustrations of commenting on a blog!! I don’t think its you…. I always have issues! Unless it’s me too of course! Thank you so much Tara x

  10. Beautiful dress and yes you do look really happy and comfortable in the dress. I just came across this pattern brand yesterday and it’s good to see that it turned out great on you! well done!

  11. It looks superb. I have seen some fabric that I thought would suit the pattern very well but not sure if it’s heavy enough. It’s heavier than your usual quilting cottons for example, but not as heavy as upholstery fabric. I don’t really mind if the tulip shape isn’t accentuated quite as much as upholstery fabric seems to achieve but I don’t want to lose it altogether. You seem to have reached a happy medium with yours but until they develop ‘touchy feely’ computers, I can’t tell how heavy your fabric is. So, I’m still wavering. I do love the bodice shape though so maybe I’d be better matching it with a slimmer skirt – would that be easy to do?

    1. Hi Lynn. Firstly thank you for your lovely comment. The fabric I used wasn’t quite upholstery weight but it was heavier than usual quilting/cotton dress fabric which is why those pleats are holding up. I wouldn’t recommend anything less weighty otherwise. A simple dirndl or circle skirt would look just as good if you are using a lighter fabric. I have seen some lovely examples. The bodice is such a lovely fit it’s worth making a few to experiment!

  12. Isn’t this pattern just the best? I am currently working on my own dress, and I love the dress to bits already. I made a muslin, and the bodice fit me ok. I love that fabric too. so cheery.

  13. This is just beautiful! You make the most wonderful dresses. And I completely agree with you on the tulip skirt. It is so flattering.

  14. This is a beauty! I can tell by the pictures that its a very comfortable dress also which is important, gorgeous!

  15. Pingback: Completed: Elisalex Dress | Busy Lizzie In Brizzy

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