Blue and White Summer Dress

Last Friday, the 19th of June, Sweden celebrated Midsummer's eve. For swedish people this holiday is almost as big as Christmas. We eat smorgasbord as lunch, which includes pickled herring, sour cream, potatoes, chives, eggs and crispbread. Later in the evening we barbecue and for dessert we eat cream cake with strawberries or strawberries with unwhipped cream or ice cream. During midday or early afternoon it is a tradition to gather loved ones, dress a maypole with flowers and leaves and then dance around it together with the children to violin music or accordion music.
We celebrated together with my husband's brother's family and for this occation I sewed this dress I will show you today!

The pattern is taken from BurdaStyle magazine no 6/2014. I wanted a dress with simple lines and few details and I liked the fact that it has two hidden pockets in the side seams. When I was finished I was a little unhappy with the neckline because I thought it was a bit too deep. When I leaned forward people would see more than I wanted to show so I sew the two front parts together were they crossed. However, that was not enough so I used a white tank top under so it covered as much as I wanted. Maybe I will add a white or blue patterned piece behind the two front pieces so I won't need a tank top in the future.

The fabric I used is cotton fabric with not much stretch. However, there is no need for much stretch because the zipper in the side seam is long enough to make it easy to get the dress on without trouble.
The fabric is called "Twelve Oaks" from the collection of Judie Rothermel for MARCUS Fabrics (see picture below) 

Cotton Summer Dress

Last week Burda Style magazine came in through the mail slot and landed on my doormat. I had other things to do at the time but after laying there beside me on the table in about an hour I couldn't resist it's tempting shiny plastic cover ready to be torn open (no nice and neat opening with scissors here!). Oh, and then the smell... my my, the smell of new magazine filled my nose as I open the centerfold, buried my nose and inhaled. Haha I have ever since I can remember enjoyed the smell of new magazines, I guess it is the excitement of the content, all the shiny pictures and sense the smell of "new" - I think I will never get tired of it.

I had just ended a sewing project, the pink denim jacket I posted about two weeks ago, and I felt like starting something new for the summer vacation. I found a cute short halterneck dress in the magazine, but because I have the idea that I don't fit very good in halterneck since I have quite broad shoulders, I kept the skirt part and used the upper part from an other dress instead.

I immediately fell for the fabric, it gives a little sense of "baking cookies in a rural kitchen with the afternoon sun shining in through the curtains" which I like, and it gets complete with the large pockets at front and the flounce hem. I also like the heart shaped neck lining - it is romantic and flattering without being too deep showing everything ;)
The skirt part is lined with a white thin fabric to give it a little extra stiffness and thickness. The upper part is not lined. 

Pink Party Dress

As I wrote in my previous post, this Saturday I attended my long time friend Maria's wedding. And what a wonderful day it was! She was so lovely in her dress, make-up and hairstyle and the wedding reception was very beautifully arranged by our common friend Emelie who was toast-madame. They had arranged a lot of delicious food and fun entertainment during the dinner.

I wore my self-made glittery little pink dress and the flower decorated diadem I showed you guys in previous post :) The satin shoes is the same I wore at my own wedding last year - wonderful when you get to use so pretty things more than once :)

For this dress I mixed two patterns from Burda Style 12/2013, see the sketches for these two models below.

 My pink dress is made by these two patterns. 

The skirt section  of my dress is same as model 130 and the top section of my dress is same as model 122.  

Pink tulle with sparkles in four layers.

A closer look at the flower-diadem in my hair.  

The crochet cardigan is made by my mother - I think it is a true work of art.

White satin ribbon around waist, at the top edges of the heart shaped upper part, 

at backside and around neck.