First up, over to our Product Manager Nikki:
"For my first version of Lotta, I wanted something classic and wearable. The fabric is a ditsy polka dot print viscose from Minerva Crafts. This is the style of dress I wear all the time, and the elasticated waistline makes it extra comfy.
I went with the knee-length version of the dress, with longer sleeves and the optional patch pockets - because who doesn't love pockets?! I made this during the development stage of the pattern, and the sleeves on the final pattern are actually a bit shorter than this, they finish just above the wrist.
At the moment while the weather is still balmy, I've been loving wearing my Lotta dress with Converse and bare legs. I am looking forward to the weather turning though (anyone else just LOVE Autumn?) so I can layer it up with a chunky cardigan, tights and black ankle boots."
Over to Tilly to look at two of her Lotta dresses:
"My first version of Lotta has had so much wear this summer. The fabric may look familiar... Firstly because it's a different colourway of one of the fabrics we used for our model samples. Alice wore a coral double gauze dress for our shoot, and I fell head over heels in love with it and snapped up this minty green fabric to make my own. And secondly because I also used the same fabric to make one of my Stevie smock dresses. What can I say? I love this fabric!
For this version, I went with the grown-on short sleeves, midi-length hem, and added the oversize pockets to the skirt for a more everyday-casual vibe. There's something a bit seventies about these pockets, don't you think? A few people have commented that the dress reminds them of a favourite find from a vintage clothes shop.
Oh I do love double gauze. It feels so lovely to wear, and I love the slightly crumpled-casual vibes it gives off. If you haven't sewn with this delightful material before, I'd encourage you to give it a go - check out my tips for sewing with double gauze.
If you've already signed up to our Sew an Easy Dress online workshop you may recognise my second Lotta dress as the one I wear in the videos. Okay, so not ALL of the videos, as the workshop took weeks to film and the dress needed washing occasionally, but I wear it in all the bits where you see my face ;)
This version is a perfect piece for Autumn, as it's relatively lightweight and breezy, yet can be layered up with tights and cardigans when the chill sets in. I added the bracelet sleeves and went with the midi length hem for extra swishability.
The fabric is a peachskin from Fabric Godmother. In fact, it's the same print and substrate as the teal version Selena wears in our model pics. The white reminds me of that Zara dress you see at least three times anytime you go anywhere in London, without being an exact replica of it.What I love about this dress is that I can throw it on, no fiddling about with fastenings, stick on a bright necklace, and I'm ready for my meetings. It looks dressy enough for dinner out, but is crazy comfy and the elasticated waistline leaves room for pudding!"
If you want to check out some more Lotta dresses, take a look at #SewingLotta hashtag on Instagram, which is already filling up... Just goes to show how quick this dress is to make!
