Bespoke Double Gauze Pearl Dress
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This lovely double gauze has been sitting on my shelf for months while ideas for what it would eventually become percolated through my brain. I purchased it in a double-gauze-buying-binge from Fancy Tiger (a fantastic shop that also sponsors my blog!) earlier this year. I loved this stripe print so much (see: this top and these pants) that I decided I wanted to try it in this red/peach/blue colorway. Last week I suddenly pounced on it and it was all cut-it-out one night and sew-the-placket the next afternoon and then there were a few days of sewing french seams that felt like forever and then the hemming and it was done. It’s so satisfying (and rare) when it all falls together in a few days and I can walk away with something that looks great and fits nicely. Having a good trusty pattern that you can jump in with that doesn’t require fitting is half the battle to be sure: this one is the Pearl Dress by Green Bee Patterns (also one of my blog sponsors!! look at me with the sponsor mentions today), again, I am really enjoying making these. I added the henley placket option this time and while I think it might be a bit tricky for the beginner, even with double gauze it really wasn’t too bad.
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Double gauze is just dreamy (and the Cotton and Steel double gauze seems to be especially soft). I’ve said this so many times before, but wearing double gauze is like wearing pajamas. It might also even look like I’m wearing pajamas but I really couldn’t care it’s so comfortable. And personally I like the slightly rumpled look it gains as its worn; I was careful to steam this one before taking photos and not wear it around like I usually do. I got a comment recently from someone on a social media platform which will remain unnamed pointing out the wrinkles in my photos and asking if I ever press my garments when I sew them which of course I do, I press like a maniac while I’m sewing. I really don’t mind constructive critique when it’s kindly delivered, but this commenter also couldn’t resist mentioning that “many of us have been discussing the rumpled nature of your garments” which then made me feel like I was back in middle school and “they” were all over on the other side of the playground, talking smack about me. Believe it or not though, it was a good thing to hear, because the truth is that 100% cotton clothing does get wrinkly, and yes, I could stand to pay a little more attention to that in my photos, so it’s all good. I just need to photograph things before I start wearing them all over the place which will require some self control. Hey, upping my professional game a little bit can’t be a bad move.
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Let’s talk about the french seams (shown above). I realized right away that it would be necessary to do some major seam finishing on this thing because raw edges on double gauze fray something fierce. My go-to option is to use a serger to finish seams, because it’s fast, but somehow I got it into my head that french seams would be better (read my Super Seams post for a few other favorite seam finishes). Which they are, but I’m gonna be straight with you, with double gauze they were a total bitch to sew. French seams on set-in sleeves, for instance. French seams on inseam pockets. And the trimming of all those little tiny threads every time. I persevered and now I LOVE it, but there were moments, let me tell you. Thank goodness for Jane Eyre on Neflix.
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Anyway, I don’t want to scare anyone off double gauze — if you mind your seam finishes and cut carefully it’s actually quite wonderful to sew with, despite how the name might sound (am I right that the word “gauze” freaks people out?), and once sewn it is wonderfully forgiving, fit-wise, as well. IP information In fact, the loose weave creates a more generous fit so you could easily go down a size; my double gauze garments usually fit larger and looser than identically-cut garments in more stable fabrics (voile, lawn, for example). It’s also breathable for summer and layers well for fall, all in all I highly recommend sewing with double gauze (it’s one of my Five Favorite Fabrics, in fact). As you can see in the photo above, I’ll probably be wearing it with skinny jeans quite a bit this fall, and I can picture this with a big chunky sweater. Bring it, fall!!
By the way, you can find all kinds of double gauze fabrics at the following links from my fantastic sponsors: Jones and Vandermeer (a brand-new-to-me sponsor with all kinds of great apparel fabrics, welcome!!) / Fancy Tiger / Fabricworm / Fiddlehead Artisan Supply
and the Pearl Dress sewing pattern can be found at Green Bee Patterns, of course!