dressing gown 2

i made a replacement for the multi-purpose dressing gown/beach dress/after swim wrap as the old one was getting a real struggle to squeeze her into. i used 2 beach towels (cheapy and fun from peacocks) this time which gave me more freedom in how i designed it, though it did mean it cost a little more (though still miles cheaper than anything rtw of a similar design/quality).

since i now know a little more about clothing design i was able to give it more room where needed, while still keeping the design easy to sew. i used kimono sleeves, but wider than before, as the old one was always a bit tricky to get her arms/shoulders into. i angled the armscyes downwards to give shoulder shaping in the body section and to decrease bulk under the arms. i put a facing onto the neck opening as i knew from the start i'd need one.

i repeated the trick of re-using the hem and selvage in the finished dress (hem, sleeve and hood edges) and at least this time the sewing machine was working so i could machine the seams. i decided to hand finish all the seams again as it gives a lovely smooth finish to the inside of the dress, perfect for bare skin. it didn't take very long and it's definitely worth it.

it fits just about right, sleeves are a good length and it hangs about a cm clear of the floor. i'm hoping there's enough room in the body for it to fit for a long time, 3/4 length sleeves being no problem.

pics links take you to flickr as it's playing up at the minute so i can't add them to my sets.