This is another one of those shapes you guys are either going to love or hate, I know. I kind of love it, but then I also kind of have this nagging need to airbrush that extra fabric off my hips in Photoshop, ya know?
The cocoon look is not something I'm used to (yet) for myself, but I love the effortless look it lends to all the models I've pinned to my Pinterest board for wardrobe inspiration. So I'm giving it a shot. Again.
I love the fit of the Cali Faye Basics Tank, so I used that for the upper portion of the dress (size small). I mashed it up with Vogue 1496 (size B) for the lower portion of the dress. There was no magic to this; I just laid the tank pattern over the dress pattern, matched where the waistlines were, and traced new pattern pieces around the edges.
I opted to leave off the pockets because I was feeling extra-lazy, but I'm kind of sad I did that. However, I used French seams throughout, and I'm not sure my feeble brain would have been able to sort that all out. So here it is in all its simplicity.
The fit is great other than the armholes being particularly low and revealing my bra under the arms. My muslin of the tank did not do this, so I think it's a result of not stay-stitching around the armholes before overhandling this dress.
The fabric is a silk noil (also known as "raw silk") that I purchased back in Salt Lake City a couple years ago. I had precisely enough to make this dress - so precisely that I had to piece together the bias binding around the neckline. I loved working with this fabric so much, I might have to invest in more of it from another source. It's easy-to-sew, light-as-a-feather, and it drapes beautifully.
Oh, and my hair! You may notice it's shorter in these photos. If you follow me on Instagram, you know I've been DIY-ing my hair color and cut for quite a while now. Recently, I had a wild hair (haha) to cut some bangs to cover up where my postpartum puffs are emerging, but it was a huge mistake. Every. Single. Time. I cut bangs...I remind myself: NEVER DO THIS AGAIN. But I did it again. And I also cut a couple inches off the back. Basically it was a big hot mess. So I finally went to a professional to fix all my sins, and she did a great job with what I gave her. I love the cut she gave me, but it would look so much better had I not cut those awkward bangs.
Oh well. It's hair. It grows. My new hair goal is to grow out all the color and get it back to around shoulder-blade length. We'll see how long that lasts.
So there you have it! I do have at least one more cocoon dress planned (in a knit), so I'm not letting this trend die any time soon.
