Dress made with FS Poplin Mary Black

If you have read other articles of mine you may see a theme in what I tend to sew.

Big pants. Button-ups.

But I have been leaning into sewing dresses over the last couple of seasons and it has been a journey. A journey both fun as well as…exhausting? Is that the right word?

As I navigate my ever changing style and explore what things I like (and don’t like), sewing dresses feels like uncharted territory. I have so many incredible inspirational images saved- from varying degrees of volume or length. But I don’t think I had nailed down a style of dress that I loved.

Dress made with FS Poplin Mary Black

I knew I wanted to experiment more with a cotton poplin. The fabric is super soft and drapey. It’s also opaque, so I don’t have to worry about what I am wearing underneath. And the best part is, it’s incredibly easy to sew with- it doesn’t fray or pucker, and it doesn’t wrinkle easily. As I have been on the aforementioned dress exploration- this IC012 Poplin in the Mary Print, Black was missing from my wardrobe. I now have two thoughts on this:

1. Ditsy florals are so cute.
2. Ditsy florals are so cute on others.

I realized quickly why I didn’t have this type of print in my wardrobe. It leans hard into the “cottage-core” style that, well, frankly isn’t the style that I lean into! This is where you can say “Caitlin- it’s all in the pattern.” To which I would reply “You are exactly right.”

Dress made with FS Poplin Mary Black

When I set out to sew this dress, I was enamored with a new “shiny penny” pattern that popped up on my social media feed. So enamored, that, I bought it immediately with no research. None. Zero. I did not know the pattern maker, and I did not see this dress on anybody (other than the pattern maker). This is very unlike me. (I ALWAYS research AND, I was on a self-imposed pattern-buying ban.) I broke my ban for this dress….

Spoiler- the dress you see in these photos is NOT the dress that I broke my buying ban for. In fact…I set out to sew it, prepped the fabric, cut the blocks out, skimmed the instructions…and I couldn’t do it. Crucial steps were missing, I didn’t want to toile a gathered bust, my heart wasn’t in it.

Dress made with FS Poplin Mary Black

But I wanted to make something with the floral pattern because I truly did love it. And! I wanted to make a dress.

I decided to take a gorgeous pattern that was just released and hack the bodice to fit my idea and make something new! Introducing the Calvin Crop Dress! This pattern was released in September by the amazing duo @jessilouscloset and @evan.ihde and I absolutely loved making a top version, so why not make some changes and hacks to wear as a dress! I made a quick toile to figure out a new bodice shape, as well as self-draft a faux-shirred back and straps and VOILA! A dress was born! This pattern was perfectly paired with the cotton poplin, and came together very quickly.

I would say it still leans into the “cottage-core” look, but I was determined to take this silhouette and make it into something I love. The poplin fabric alone is so lovely on my skin, that I think I still did it justice.