The wait is over, here are finally some pictures of my version of the Coquelicot dress, one of the two new patterns from the latest Deer&Doe release! Coquelicot is a sleeveless, A-line dress with a neckline that is squared in the front and rounded in the back, adorned with a large ruffle that covers the shoulders. I’m not usually a fan of all that frilly stuff but this dress is definitely an exception.
This dress was very pleasant to sew after several more complicated and tedious projects (hello Orchidée!) since the pattern is quite quick and easy. The only finicky step in my opinion is attaching the ruffle to the neckline, where it can be a good idea to go over the corners several times to get nice round and symmetrical results. Apart from that, the difficulty comes mainly from the fabric, since the pattern requires a very drapey fabric for the ruffle to drape as it should (crepe, rayon, silk…).
For this version I used a lightweight rayon challis, which is my favorite fabric for wearing this kind of dresses in the summer: lightweight, soft and breathable but still thick enough for an unlined dress. I used store-bought bias tape to finish the armholes as I find that rayon bias binding cut from the same fabric is usually too flimsy to survive the washing machine. Ideally, I would have used home-made bias binding in a matching cotton fabric, which would have been softer, but I was a little too lazy.
I sewed a second Coquelicot dress (well technically my first one) with a maxi skirt in a beautiful polyester crepe, which reminds me of some Reformation dresses. Unfortunately I haven’t photographed it yet and it has become a bit tight in the meantime, but I hope I can show it to you later this summer! As for Orchidée, I have made the blouse version, but since I sewed it in a floral eyelet fabric it is absolutely identical to the one from the website and therefore showing it off here presents little interest. I bought enough fabric to make a dress version in a floral cotton voile (also with a Reformation vibe), I hope to have the time and motivation to sew it soon – it is such a big project!
DIVINA!!!