One Pattern, Two Bodies: Chalk & Notch Fringe Dress – Camilla’s Take
Hello! It’s Camilla here (also known as @she_sew_fabulous). If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know how much I love making dresses. I don’t make them as often anymore as I now have hundreds of them, so I was delighted for the opportunity to make one for the purpose of this blog. It’s always a delight to work with Lindsie, so I approached this project with a big smile on my face and was eager to get started.
When Lindsie and I discussed what pattern to make, we wanted to ensure it was a pattern that would work for both of our body shapes, so we opted for the Chalk and Notch ‘Fringe Dress’.
My body measurements are bust 38 inches, waist 33 inches and hip 40 inches, so I decided to make a size 14 as I hate it when dresses are tight. I love a bit of wiggle room and the option to accessorise with a belt if I want a dress to be more cinched, or billowy if it’s hot and I want to keep cool, so I have both here.
This is the first Chalk and Notch pattern I’ve made and I must say that I really enjoyed doing it : the instructions are really clear and the final product lovely : check out that asymmetric hemline – love!! I opted to make the button free version as I had just finished the quite complex Eden raincoat by Tilly and the Buttons and couldn’t deal with the added stress of buttonholes – I wanted something simple! And can I just take a moment to gag over this fabric : I picked it up from a destash page on Instagram and it’s so lovely, it just makes the pattern wonderfully summery and reminds me of the dresses I used to buy from Oasis when I was in my twenties that always made me feel chic and fabulous.
Last time that Lindsie and I made a ‘one pattern on two bodies’ garment, it was the Love Notions Sunday Romper, and at that time I was going through a bit of a downer about my size. I’ve put on weight over the last two years, like many of us and I was feeling a bit rubbish about it last summer. Fast forward to this year and I’m actually really happy with my size. Yes, I still have the extra roll here and there that I could do without, but it doesn’t detract from the way I feel about myself. One thing I love about the sewing community is the constant exposure to different body shapes, which has, over time, made me far more accepting about my shape. When I wear a dress like this, I feel gorgeous : it’s light and summery and dare I say it, looks like it cost a lot of money to buy ready made; so all those things considered, I’m not worried about the extra lumps and bumps here and there because I feel great.
I highly recommend this pattern to any level of sewist as it’s really simple and comes together quite quickly. Furthermore, it’s really versatile : you can make it casual, you can make it fancy, you can dress it up, you can dress it down. It’s great for any occasion and I foresee myself getting a lot of wear out of this one.
Thanks for the opportunity to make this lovely pattern Lindsie, I really enjoyed this project and I foresee many more Fringe Dresses (probably with some hacks included) making their way into my wardrobe in the future!
