When I chose my August 2022 stash-busting project, I wanted to focus in on something that would help me start to make the transition into autumn! In 2021, I purchased a couple of very cute printed satins from Fabric Godmother with the plan of finally trying out the Saltwater Slip pattern. While I had success sewing a satin Sicily Slip Dress for my brother-in-law’s wedding last year, satin still feels slippery and scary to me, so I decided if I ever wanted to sew those three cuts of pretty satin, I needed a plan to just dive in and do it. I chose this fun, rust colored satin with sassy little ladies all over it and put it on the list.
Sometimes, I’d look ahead at what I wanted to sew for the next month, including my pre-planned “Monthly Make My Stash” choices, and think “Oh no, why did I decide to do that!?”… This dress was one of those projects. Satin? Bias Binding? This was simply a disaster waiting to happen!
Guess what? It wasn’t! Though I did learn a few things along the way that I’ll be taking into consideration with my next satin make. For example, trying to press a slippery fabric into straps and bias binding? Spray starch to the rescue! True story – without spray starch, the dress you are looking at now would likely look VERY sloppy and “homemade.” Instead, the combination of spray starch and awesome instructions for attaching the bias binding, which were different from how I’d previously learned to do it, made a really nicely finished piece! Another handy tool? Microtex needles! I started this dress using a regular universal needle on my sewing machine. It was new and sharp, and while it certainly would’ve done the job, I noticed some small pulls in the fabric along the back center seam line of my dress. You might even be able to tell the difference in these photos! For the rest of my seams, I switched to my Microtex Needle which soared in and out of the fabric gracefully without pulling at all. I’d highly suggest using a Microtex needle for any slippery, slinky fabrics!
This style of dress is so 90’s to me. I was little in the 90’s, but this reminds me of reading my cool Seventeen magazines and admiring all of the ideas of what to wear to prom and date nights with your hot boyfriend with the frosted tips. I can picture Rachel Green wearing this silhouette over a white baby tee on Friends. I can’t decide if this is meant to be worn with a chunky black heel or a pair of mildly grungy Vans. Ideally, pre-teen me would have paired this with my chunky black Steve Madden sandals (yes, THOSE sandals… Did you know they’re back? I saw them at Nordstrom just last week!) The options are endless, though I think I will opt out of the stretchy plastic tattoo choker that I would’ve most certainly paired with this at some point in history.
PS – how cute are the sassy gals on this print. I absolutely adore the color pairings – that pop of lavender on the rust background is perfection. I love these ladies though, looking so cool and fashionable doing their thing and lounging around. I do think the print limits this dress to more casual and / or date night type settings than a solid version would. For instance, I’m off to a wedding today and although I love the silhouette for a wedding, I didn’t grab this dress specifically because the print was probably too much. However, I’m hoping that my husband and I can find some time for a date night this month, and you can bet I’ll be wearing this to dinner!
So there you have my thoughts on my August make! Fabric had no choice but to be a win, it’s so beautiful. Pattern is also a win, and I look forward to making it again!
Dress: handmade by me
Fabric: Fabric Godmother – Hanging Out Rust Satin
Pattern: Friday Pattern Co. – Saltwater Slip Dress
Key Ingredients:
Brother XR9500PRW Sewing Machine
Brother 1034D Overlocker
Dahle 36×48 Self-healing Cutting Mat
Schmetz Microtex Sewing Needles
Gutermann Sew All Polyester Sewing Thread
Thanks for reading my thoughts on this garment! Both the fabric and pattern used in this piece were purchased by me and are not part of any sort of affiliate or ambassador program. Links provided throughout this post, however, may be affiliate links – if you choose to purchase any products through these links, I may receive a small commission, at no cost to you. This simply helps me justify the costs of my sewing habit and the time it takes to share it with you!! Happy Sewing!
- XX Elizabeth
