Colette Patterns Rue Dress

Colette Patterns went back to their roots for this dress and I couldn't be happier about it! I like a two-hour sew as much as the next person, but it's so exciting and rewarding to tackle a bigger project.

I chose Version 1 but added the longer sleeves from Version 2.  I sew with a lot of prints, and the line drawings and examples for the launch made me think about stripes to start with. You can definitely go all out with prints, color blocking and piping for this one, but I also wanted to see what it looks like in a solid color without any flair to it.  It has a classic look to it, and I like that.

My fabric is a red wool crepe.  It's not great to be standing outside in Kansas humidity in a lined wool crepe dress! If you look closely at the pictures you can see that I'm actually starting to melt.  My measurements are 34-28-38.  Based on the sizing chart I initially chose a 2 in the bust graded to a 6 in the waist and hips.  The waist and hips were too big so I went with a straight 2 and it fits well. The bust was too roomy above the darts.  I pinned out what I didn't want, measured it (it was a 1/2 inch for me), made a straight line cut on the flat pattern, overlapped one side of the cut over the other 1/2 inch, and taped it..  I'm not sure if that's a legitimate way to adjust a pattern, but it worked for me. 

As usual, the directions are very clear and there are always online tutorials for the tricky stuff.  I appreciate the lining a lot on this dress.  I rarely do a lining unless the pattern calls for it.  If my main fabric is too thin I just underline it (maybe because I'm lazy?), but I do like the look of a lining.  I will be able to come back to these lining instructions for other projects. 

My lining is Cotton+Steel rayon.  It's a happy burst of color!

This dress is very versatile for warmer and also colder months.  My next version will most likely be in a floral print with piping, and I'm also wondering what it would look like if the bust piece was color blocked instead of the bottom bodice pieces.  So many ideas...so little time.

I received a copy of this pattern prior to it's release, but all opinions in this blog post are my own.