Alameda Dress - Nina Lee

Good day to you all!

You may have noticed the blog looks a little different - unfortunately my previous template suffered a small demise however I have managed to restore it in this format. Do let me know if anything useful is missing.

I haven't really made much I can share with you just yet (season of the secret sewing and all that) however I did want to talk about the Alameda Dress by Nina Lee.

I've tested a few patterns for Nina and low and behold, she pulled another absolute beauty of a pattern out of that magic hat of hers. Whilst my versions are not particularly wintry, the pattern could be an absolute winner in the right festive fabric. This beautiful forest silk for example? Or a luxurious velvet?!

 

The pattern looks simple, it is simple to sew, but wow does it pack a punch with the drafting and details. 

 For the testing I made a straight up 16 top, 18 bottom and had to make a grand total of ZERO changes! I'm all tummy no chest so I never thought a bias dress was going to work without some major restructuring but I actually love it.

For me the best bit about this pattern is discovering you don't actually need a zip in it at all, it fits right over your head like a slip dress. You can of course go for a zip if it's close fitting but mine seemed fine without it.

The dress is cut on the bias, in a single layer. As the bodice and skirt are separate this is easy to fit onto standard width fabric. The bodice is fully lined, with the interior neatly stitched to the waist seam - nothing visible and no seams touching your skin. The neckline is a combination of pleats and a soft cowl which has a wonderful draping effect.

The photo above is a version I made in silk for my Minerva make which is up on the website now. (Code this quarter is MSS244EC if you want to treat yourself to 10% off anything on the site).

For this second version I added adjustable straps using bra slider which for me, gives a comfier fit and stops straps slipping off my slopey shoulders. Would recommend.

I very much like how this dress sits into my back properly and gives a really nice feminine shape.

 

I would definitely make this pattern up again for summer, and I am considering a luxury blue velvet or sequin version for Christmas - however as I'm not doing anything that requires such a dress that will have to wait for another time!

 

Another great one from Nina Lee - and previously unbeknownst to me I am the pattern model on the website for the Plus Size Alameda Dress! 

 

Fun fact - Nina is also an avid cross-stitcher and has been doing it since she was a child. If you love a bit of the ol' cross-stitch yourself she also has a second business which is The Merry Stitcher. Some very cute Christmas and winter designs on there at the moment if you want to take a look. This is my favourite so far!

Picture: The Merry Stitcher

Let me know if you try this pattern and what you think!

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