dress: Bettine by Tilly (slightly altered)
This summer I became super obsessed with double gauze. I especially love Kokka Echino and other Japanese prints but most of what I found was either too bright and busy to be easy to wear or looked like it would make super cute pajamas. I like the idea of double gauze summer pajamas but what I really wanted was a fun summer dress that I could throw on and look like I’m trying to look cute when in reality I feel like melting and couldn’t give two craps what I look like.
I kept an eye out all summer and didn’t find anything. And then sometime in November, I got opened a Stone Mountain and Daughter newsletter to a thumbnail of this georgeous print. Double gauze? Wearable print? Cats?? With GOLD crowns?? Yes please!!
Deciding which pattern was a little tricky. I thought about doing Grainline’s Farrow dress but I decided I want to sew that one in a fabric with more body (I have a thrifted chambray sheet all set for that one). Then while unpacking I came across the Bettine dress and it was perfect. I made a muslin and it fit pretty well but I did make a few adjustments.
Growing my butt at the gym has been an ongoing project, and one of the side effects is that I couldn’t sit down in the Bettine as drafted. Standing was fine, even walking was OK. Sitting, not so much. I also usually prefer a little more volume in the skirt anyway, so I slashed and spreaded to make a little more of an A-line silhouette. I also didn’t love the deep curve of the pocket edge so I made it a little more shallow. And then I traced the same adjusted curve to the pocket bag.
I think next time I would do a slight FBA to the front piece. It technically fits, but my D cup boobs feel a bit trapped. I think ladies who wear a C cup or smaller can get away with bodice fronts that are the same as bodice backs, but this one was cutting it close for me.
I always love little details that set a garment off so I looove the view with the sleeve tabs. I got some cute little gold buttons to attach and I love how they match the gold in the fabric.
I love your dress! That print – for sure I couldn’t have resisted it myself and I think you picked the perfect pattern for it – some structure but not too much to allow some breezy movement in the skirt was the right move. I always have to do an fba – I’m just cutting out a simple blouse that has the same front and back piece and NO that definitely won’t work for me. I have to have a dart in the front always if I want a decent fit and hang. Guess how I know that? 🙂
Thanks so much! Yeah, I can kind of get away with not doing an FBA but then I can only wear certain bras. 😂 I think this one was a little more forgiving because of the blousiness but I do admit I was a little skeptical when I noticed the front and back were identical.
This dress is fabulous! I really love the soft ethereal look of the gauze matched with the bettine. I have a yardage question, I’m planning my first bettine and was wondering if you really need 2 meters for the smaller sizes (I’m generally a 3 or 4 in Tilly’s patterns). It just seems like a ton of fabric for a pattern with such a simple shape and a tulip skirt.
Thank you!! I’ll double check when I get home but I’m pretty sure I bought the recommended amount and then ended up with at least a yard leftover, even with cutting a wider skirt.
Thanks! I’ve been searching reviews online but no one mentioned how accurate the fabric requirements are. I figured they must be extremely generous since they are the same for most of the sizes
Super cool! Love that cat print
Hi Ping, love the dress and your fabric choice! I really like how you spread the skirt into more of an A-line too. I’ve been on the fence about the Bettine and I realise now it was because of the skirt (as it is in the pattern). I think you’ve inspired me to try a similar skirt hack now!!