A Penny for Your Thoughts

Just over a year ago, I mentioned that I'd bought some new patterns -- well, so far the only one I've actually sewn up has been Sew Over It's Penny Dress! I'm eager to sink my claw (needles?) into the Eve Wrap dress, but I don't currently have the right fabric for it, and I'm committed to reducing my stash before I buy anything new (I know, I know -- you'll believe it when you see it... So will I!).  

But all of that is beside the point -- I've had the Penny sewn up for ages now, and just haven't gotten photographs of it! By "ages" I mean at least nine months. But I'm now in a good position to declare that I love this pattern, because I've worn it extensively in that time. It pairs beautifully with cardigans, and is a perfect summer dress.

I sewed this Penny up in a drapey rayon denim (from JoAnn's). It has a bit of a sheen, and I love it to death -- literally, I will probably wear this dress until it dies. The pattern was lovely, even though I made everything more complicated by misunderstanding the shoulder instructions twice. After a great deal of seam ripping, the rest of the pattern went together quite well. No darts, no fiddly bits (not even sleeves), and plenty of subdued feminine flair! As I was contemplating making another Penny, I thought about how to fix my one issue with the pattern -- the center front pulls "up." Then, as I searched to see if others had faced the same issue, I found that Sew Over It has updated the pattern to adjust for this issue; I suppose I was not the only one!

This dress is such a joy to wear! It worked quite well for nursing, as I'd hoped, and the fabric is holding up well. There's nothing worse than making something you like, only to have it wear out shortly after.

I'm already dreaming of future versions -- I think this cotton chambray (with a hint of linen and rayon) would be lovely, though I'm not sure what the stripes would do with the circle skirt. But it will have to wait until I've sewn up some more of my stash; for now I'm quite content to swirl about in the Penny I already have!