Finished Metamorphic dress, II

A few weeks ago, I finished a second Metamorphic reversible dress. The fabric had been in my possession since I purchased fabric for my first metamorphic dress, just waiting to be cut out and sewn together.

I've mentioned it before on the blog, but it's much easier for me to "gear up" to knit something, than to sew. Sewing requires hefty equipment and lots of space and always a thorough vacuuming of the floor when I'm finished because there is inevitably thread and lint galore. That said, this project was the perfect sewing project for my current frame of mind: pattern pieces already traced, fabric washed, etc. I cut out the pattern pieces one afternoon, and then a few days later, I sewed the entire dress, over a large span of time.

This is bit time-consuming of a project, but only because the pattern is truly for two dresses, not just one. And regardless of the time spent, it's (a) well-spent, and (b) much less time than most knitting projects.

I love my first version of this dress, but I wanted to make a few modifications, specifically to the fit of the bodice and the hem detail. I do like the "peek-a-boo" effect of the hi-lo hem, but it is a bit more challenging for me to style, since it's a slightly busier "look." And, I'm not incredibly tall, but at 5' 6", I'm at least a few inches taller than the pattern designer, so the shorter-on-me length with the hi-low hem looks a little odd, and means that I must layer it with leggings, since it's too short to wear alone comfortably.

For my second version, I wanted to ensure a little less gaping at the neckline (the first one gapped just a little, but if you can fix it, you might as well, right?), and I wanted to add length and omit the hi-low hem detail.

And the verdict? I love it.

Truly, on the linen side, the dresses look extremely similar, because while I had it in my mind that the second dress was grey, it is indeed a very blue grey. However, I love that green on the reverse, especially since it's opaque enough to be worn as the right side. I do think the green fabric will pill with wear, in which case, it can become a full-time liner for a still-beautiful dress.

I wore this dress alone, grey side out on my birthday and loved it.

And today, it was 66 degrees out, and I saw my opportunity to wear this dress styled with a few layers, and I also loved that. And it makes me so happy when a me-made item is so versatile.

The details

Pattern: Metamorphic Reversible Dress by Sew Liberated

Size: 2

Fabric: Robert Kaufman linen/rayon (brussels washer) in a dark grey and a sage green 100% rayon

Modifications & notes: I serged all my raw edges. I made a narrow shoulder adjustment by taking in 1" total in the top center of the front bodice piece (with a 1/2" pinch), added 2" in length to the skirts (so glad I did!!) and omitted the hi-lo skirt hem detail.

Next time: Make another one exactly like this. It's perfect, event when my modeling is far from perfect.

P.S. — I'm wearing my pink Milena shawl and PACT leggings (my absolute favorite leggings, but I always wait to buy them on sale!) in the photos taken today.

P.P.S.— I also love how the grey/blue side looks layered for cooler weather. I love this dress.