So, I have to tell you, this dress, this gloriously bright and breezy dress, is the simple result of a rabbit hole and incredible timing.

I don’t remember exactly how I ended up down said rabbit hole (Shocking, right? Who ever does remember?), but I did and I came across this gorgeous, bright pink crepe sleeveless dress from Phillip Lim. And as was the usual case, the model looked so chic and carefree pretending to walk in her amazing, but practical dress. Oh to be as effortless. 

Well, that was never going to happen! But, I couldn’t get the idea of a pink, sleeveless swing dress out of my head, so I scanned through my patterns. Then, the ones I could find online. “Surely this is a popular style… why can’t I find a pattern for it?” I won’t admit to how long I spent on this search. Then, lo and behold, the very next day, what should I see pop up in my Instagram feed? Oh, only the absolutely perfect pattern! 

Okay, I know what you’re thinking. It isn’t actually the same. But, I happily gave up the keyhole, because they can be fussy, and I wanted a slightly fuller silhouette, because well, I’m not shaped like the model haha. So, the Trevi is my idea of perfect. And it’s release allowed me to stop obsessing. Phew!

Now, other fans of Hey June (that’s everyone, right?) may realize that this happened in March. Yup, it took me 5 months to actually make the dress haha. But, have you ever tried to find bright pink fabric? It’s harder than it sounds. It seems everyone’s idea of bright pink varies, so finding just the right shade was a bit of a challenge. 

In the meantime, I made a wearable muslin in a black rayon poplin from the now shuttered Hancock Fabrics. And, as I expected, it instantly became my new favorite dress! I love sort of swanning about in it and when I do so, I look so chic (in my head!). Since it couldn’t get in and out of the laundry fast enough, I knew I needed more. The pink one was still a must!

So, I continued my search for bright pink flowy fabric. Apparently, I’m going to be adding a bit more pink to my closet, because I now have a few that, while lovely, weren’t quite right. I was so pleased when this rayon challis arrived. It was just what I had in mind. Bold and bright, without being neon. (I love neon, but I won’t deny that I would be self-conscious wearing it all over. I don’t like to stand out.)

Now, I know I’ve gone over the pattern in the post for my black version, but for those of you who didn’t see it, let me just give you a summary: this pattern is amazing. Seriously, it’s a simple silhouette, but the pattern is very well drafted, the order of construction makes for a lovely finish, and the instructions are excellent! So, I had this one whipped up in two days, which if you know me, is really fast. And most of that second day was spent fighting with the blasted top buttonhole. I ripped that thing out a good 8 or 9 times. Warning: do not attempt to move your buttonhole off the buttonband if you use an automatic buttonhole foot. The fact that the neckline could spread too far because the button was centered bothered my fiancé, so he recommended I recess the hole, so the edge would hold the button at CB. So, I tried it. Do. Not. Do it. In the end, I had to manually stitch an extra long buttonhole in order to border, and be able to cut open, the areas that I mutilated by trying over and over. Ah well, I’ll just have to keep my hair long to keep it covered haha.

Buttonhole aside, this dress was an instant win. I already loved the pattern and this fabric was even better than expected. It’s a bit heftier and squishier than most other challis I’ve worked with, which made it fun to sew and a dream to wear. And I love the slightly sandwashed finish it appears to have. It definitely elevates the dress a bit. So in my head, I’m now almost as chic and effortless as that picture I found at the bottom of a rabbit hole. No need to burst my bubble, right? haha

By the way, Cali has a ton of great of great rayon challis fabrics, in case pink isn’t your thing. Check them out here. I’ll be sewing up the navy next and I can’t wait to wear that one too!

Happy sewing! Xo