Very excited to share the latest pattern test I did for Pattern Emporium. This one is the Heartstrings Dress with Optional Shelf Bra and it’s a great summer dress (or winter if you like to layer). It’s got several options for the skirt length, back height and how to do the straps, plus a shelf bra for any of them.
For mine I used some double brushed poly that I had picked up from Stonemountain & Daughter a couple years back. It’s got a bit more weight to it than some cheaper DBPs and a nice smooth finish with good drape. I really like it. It’s actually a navy dress with white stars, so probably what I’ll be wearing for 4th of July this year.
I opted for the high back version, the wide neckline band and did self fabric straps with swimwear elastic for extra strength. I also went for the shelf bra option using perfotek compression jersey from Mood in nude. Even though I could have used darker fabric, I like the compressive nature of this fabric and so I keep some around in nude. If I’d had black or a darker color, probably would have gone for that. But nude is always a winner.
Finished with topstitching using my coverstitch machine. Fun fact, the earrings I’m wearing are actually sterling silver that’s knitted. I picked them up at the Minnesota Textile Center when I had some extra time to stop by before a flight. I highly recommend a visit if you’re in the area. It’s very cool art.
So, yeah, this is actually a pretty fast make even with the sports bra. Even faster if you use foldover elastic instead of self fabric for binding (you can see in my next post). The only adjustment I made was removing an inch at the waist which is standard for me on most fitted patterns. It shows off the fabric nicely so I can see myself making more of them when I find some fabric and just want to put something cute together quickly.
