Hinterland Dress by Sew Liberated

I made a wearable toile of the Hinterland over a week ago which I am only getting to write about now — working from home has a few benefits (sewing on lunch hour, no commutes, etc.) but, genuinely, when it comes to the personal to-do list, I swear I’ve less time and not more – the dynamics are so different! Still, better late than never. Maybe returning to the workplace next week will help me recalibrate my daily life!

So – the Hinterland dress? It’s a great project for any level of competency. I would happily recommend this to beginners as the instructions are just that good that you can’t help but feel accomplished, even when it comes to things you may not have encountered yet; for example, plackets, ties, buttonholes. I love buttonholes – I find it an almost meditative activity putting them in.

This may be one of the most enjoyable patterns I’ve ever followed and I’m glad the toile worked out so well because I can’t wait to make a floral summery version in next couple of weeks.

When I first saw the pattern way back in January when I took up dressmaking, I knew I had to make it. At the time, it screamed autumnal colours but after wearing the toile and feeling how airy and comfortable it is, I decided not to wait until autumn so I’ve a lovely cotton-linen blend ready to be pre-washed, thanks to Jenny Stitches.

My toile was a bottle green twill – I opted for the shorter length (I’m 5 ft 2″) as it just suits me better, short sleeves, and a half-placket (I was feeling adventurous but not too adventurous to do a full-placket which I may well do next time).

I made no size adjustments (as a curvy girl, you always expect something to be off about the fit but I was lucky in finding that I didn’t need any changes)! I’m always dubious about the fit of the bust area but I followed the chart for my measurements and it came up fine – no issues with gaping or popping buttons! The only change I made to the pattern was to use a Liberty bias binding instead of using the pattern binding (more to add a little something for my own benefit to an otherwise plain dress) – the little gold rose buttons seemed like a good option as they really stand out against the dark shade of green.

I love the ties on this dress and wouldn’t think about making the dress again without them – the style of this dress is intended to be worn loose but the ties are optional for those who prefer to style it a little more fitted, like me!

Also, did I mention it has pockets?

I also feel as if I should add a bit about the ethos of Sew Liberated, which is partially (along with the designs) what attracted me to it in the first place. Meg embodies my vision of a creative lifestyle and champions slow fashion and sewing as an act of mindfulness (what she beautifully calls mendfulness) – she designs her patterns in such as way as they build a capsule wardrobe; indeed, these clothes are made to be layered and worn together, making them all rounders for the seasons. Both an inspiring lady and an inspiring pattern collection. I recommend you sign up to her newsletter if you fancy a little inspiration in your inbox now and again.

Working from home + social distancing (in fact, my 12 week isolation period ends on Sunday – yay!) = few opportunities to take pictures out and about; however, I will update with a full length picture soon. In fact, this may well be my return to work dress next week as we get ready to reopen the libraries (as much as we can with social distancing measures in place) – it works so well with my bookshelf necklace so it seems appropriate.

I have made the Untitled Thoughts Fleur Pinafore since sewing the Hinterland, so I’ll try and get a review of that pattern up in the next couple of days!

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