Dip Dye Lilou Dress

Well hello there, welcome to my first post. 
May I introduce you to my current favourite dress. So far I have worn it to two weddings and also on a day out in town. I love it so much I don't even care about the imperfections. And that means quite a lot. Yes, I am one of those perfectionists.

The pattern is the Lilou dress with a gathered skirt from Love at First Stitch by Tilly Walnes. It is my first make from the book but I find it very useful as a reference point when I am unsure about a technique.

I sometimes struggle to find fabric, especially if I have a clear idea of what I want. So for this dress I decided to just make my own design. I really like all the ombre stuff that you can see everywhere at the moment. Would love to dye my hair ombre style but, well I am just not quite brave enough.

I found the fabric for this dress at the Backstitch shop at Burwash Manor, just outside Cambridge. It is an indian shot cotton and it is super soft. I used a navy fabric dye from Dylon and after I finished sewing the dress I followed this tutorial. Next time I will make the palest section of the dyed part a bit wider. 

As you can see there are a few weird creases going on in the bodice. I think this is mainly due to the lining, a really soft silk lining, and me not working accurately enough. 

The only thing I would change pattern wise when making this dress again, is to bring the straps in by 1cm as they sit a bit loose.

And here one with an umbrella, just cose I like it ;)


Have you ever printed or dyed your own fabric? Would love to see your makes!