Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

Let’s share a little summer fun and talk about this refreshing shade of linen. Previously, I made a pair of comfy summer shorts for my daughter Anna in bright Raspberry that we paired with a Tangelo Linen Zina Button up. You can check out that post here on the blog as well. My girls and I knew we all loved this color and fabric weight so making another garment in Raspberry was an easy choice. The texture of FS Signature Linen is always delicious and the weight of this linen is perfect for so many garments, especially dresses. To date, we have not found a better weight for the best dress spins. How could we showcase this beautiful 5.3 oz Fabrics-Store Raspberry Linen any better than the perfect spin?

Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

I designed this dress first for my daughter Anna in a sweet cotton green gingham from an inspiration picture she found on Pinterest. Every time she wears the dress she gets compliments so now she is asking for a second dress in another color AND her sister Amanda requested one in Raspberry. So we started with Amanda’s dress. I would love to tell you that there is a pattern for this dress but sadly, there is not one to share. At this time, I only have my rough paper copy here in my St Pete work studio. I am, however, a big fan of altering patterns and mixing parts to make a new garment design. So if you’ll let me encourage you to try something you might not have tried, I’d love to cheer you on. Pick a pattern you already have (or one you can find here in the pattern section) that you really like the top portion. When cutting out the pattern you could cut it just under the bust (maybe an inch or two) and then add two more tiers. You’ll choose the length of those tiers depending on the length you’d like your dress. Make each tier at least 1.5 times the width of the one above to allow for gathering evenly. For example, if Amanda’s bust is 32″ and she would like the dress to be roughly 24 inches longer than where it hits under her bust line, tier two will need to be at least 48″x12″ and tier three will then need to be a total of 72″x 13″. We used 3 yards to make this dress.

Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

It was easy to find a spot to showcase this dress to share with all of you as Amanda and I went on a mini trip and found this beautiful bougainvillea in full bloom which also matched her dress perfectly. We rode our bikes around the city, ate delicious foods and found a bar called The Ice Plant with refreshing drinks that were just the color we hoped for – pink! It’s never silly or a waste of time to treat yourself with small joys. Take time to sew yourself a dress each season, or make a cocktail with a friend or even just get outside and see what things will bring you to smile in nature. I hope you’re all finding moments of refreshing this season.

Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

Self Drafted Dress made with FS All-purpose Raspberry Fs Signature Finish Midweight Linen

If you’d like a little refreshing raspberry drink to sip and sew 😉 here is a little Raspberry Mojito recipe for you:
5 Mint Leaves (plus extra for garnish), 5 Fresh Raspberries (plus extra for garnish), 1 oz Lime juice, 1 oz Simple syrup, 4 oz Soda water, a cup of ice, 2 oz Rum, white (alcohol optional)

Place in a shaker or muddle gently. Strain/pour over ice and garnish with mint and raspberry.

Cheers x – Alisha (and Amanda)