Two Staple Dresses

The staple dress is a pattern designed by April Rhodes and downloadable as a pdf to buy.  The simple shape and construction lends itself to many iterations.  I have to say the simplicity is one thing that attracted me to the pattern. 

If like me you have seriously limited sewing time and often sew with a small person or two talking or shouting at you while  throwing breadsticks and assorted toys across the room, then you too will welcome this pattern.  It consists of a front and a back piece, armhole and neck facings and two side pockets.  I made it first in polka dot spotted black cotton.  This stuff is hard to photo! I squeezed it out of two metres by making the  pockets in another fabric, and it is a wee bit short. for my liking. I still wear it though, just over cropped leggings.   I shortened the pattern by an inch and cut a small on the shoulders and neck, grading to a medium for the bust and back to a small for the skirt.    

The waist is simply elasticated.  Very forgiving for one like me as I have a fat little tummy and my size is still shifting post baby.  That shifting size means I am wary of making anything too fitted.  The top has quite a lot of ease. 

The cotton fabric used for the first dress is  quilting weigt and you can see it bunches up a bit, creating a pouffy effect.  I still wear it though.  For the second dress I used a lighter weight cotton which hangs better.  It was from my mum's sewing room and looks kind of Liberty-ish.  I can really feel the difference in the way the two dresses hang on me.  I made this one a bit longer than the first as I had more fabric.  I just cut to the line of the shorter version in the pattern. 

I like the side pockets, though I know many sewers feel they spoil the line.  But I always need pockets.  I have noticed in Me Made May that those skirts I have without pockets are hardly worn.  I have to hide my keys and phone and multiple choking hazards  from RG throughout my day. I pick up bits of lego, hairslides, coins and quickly shove them in my pocket to put away later.  I also have hayfever and need a hanky!  

Then, I made the dress a second time using some floral cotton  fabric from my mum's stash clearout.  It is a lighter weight than the dotty cotton and I think it hangs better, and creases less.  I had been saving this fabric to make a crepe dress but realised I didn't have enough.  I made the skirt to the specified pattern length and feel better with this length.  It just hits mid knee when I stand still. 



Close up of the fabric, but also please note my navy nails!  I finally used a Christmas gift of a manicure voucher



I now want to try the dress in a viscose or rayon fabric.... I like the way I can think of multiple variations from this one simple pattern.  Has anyone else tried the Staple Dress?