STOP PRESS! Headless woman wearing awesome barkcloth dress seen in laneways of Melbourne!
(This headless thing gets a bit silly, doesn’t it?)
This wonderful loud barkcloth is one of my treasures from the NYC garment district. So I reckon Peter is partly responsible for this dress because I may never have been brave enough to venture in without his able assistance. Unfortunately he remains profoundly shellshocked by my prediliction for the loudest prints I could lay my coarse sunburnt-country hands upon and I understand he’s avoided Australians ever since, even managing to arrange MPB Day to remain an antipodean-free event.
The pattern is the bodice from the red seersucker dress (1960s Simplicity 4595) but with some tweaks: I ditched the sleeves, lowered the neckline at the front, raised it at the back, and fully lined it in black cotton voile because the barkcloth weave is a little loose. After a tiny bit of further adjustment, this bodice will be pretty much perfect for me. You’ll see it again, for sure.
The skirt is just a rectangle with deep inverted pleats evenly distributed around it. No pattern, just patient pinning. The only things it’s missing are pockets because I simply forgot! But I’m rather pleased with it otherwise and I’m glad to have started my springtime sewing frenzy. When the weather gets warmer, I get constructing.
Now I just need to work on my serious-Melbourne-languid-hipster poses. Now that Australian Ambassador to NYC is no longer a career option for me, maybe modelling is just the ticket. Whatcha think? Natural talent, or what?
Make it 'til you fake it 
This is beautiful! What a lovely dress and great material choice too!
Love it!!!
You are too cute!
Very cute. I love the fabric. You may want to check but there was an Australian and MPB day… a guy from Sydney!
A Sydneysider! Diabolical!
Great dress. As a Sydneysider who spent the weekend in Melbourne, I’d say that the Melbourne hipster thing is real. I saw some stunning but querky looks.