Straight away, you’ll recognise this fabric from a previous blog post (sorry, not sorry). I just love it when you have enough for two garments from a length of fabric, and I sewed up this double gauze Leisl and Co Sintra sundress in the same print as my recent self-drafted top.
I wanted a cool, breezy style that I could take on holiday with me, and there seems to be this style of cut-away halter dress everywhere at the moment. Of course I jumped straight on that bandwagon and looked for a suitable pattern. I eventually settled on this Leisl and Co design.
The dress is just a back with a centre seam, a front and a curved neckband (though there is the option for a front seam and neckline slit too). However, I did make a mock-up of just the top part to check the fit, and I’m so glad I did, as I found the neckband came up way too high on my throat, and due to my forward shoulders, the shoulder seam was in the wrong place. I ended up totally re-cutting the band to suit my preferences. Other than that, the body of the dress fit me fine in the straight size 8 with the C cup option.
Double Gauze Leisl and Co Sintra, all the details…
I made French seams down the sides, which is probably a good idea for a double gauze to prevent fraying. It isn’t bulky either. For the centre-back seam, I folded the seam allowance under after pressing the seam open, then stitched it all the way down each side, including the slit at the top.
Getting a nice curved edge on the neckband (where it’s not attached to anything over the shoulder) wasn’t that easy because of the bouncy texture of the double gauze. It was interfaced, but it was still tricky, so I ended up doing quite a bit of it by hand. I’m pleased with how it looks, though.
With the simple armhole bindings and a machine-stitched hem, overall, it’s not that time-consuming to sew this design. There was one thing to consider, though…I absolutely need to wear a bra to feel comfortable, and I’m not a fan of strapless styles at all, but I needed something that didn’t show.
Of course, I’m quite a prolific bra and undies maker, so for a while I considered making a new bra from scratch, but common sense prevailed, and I chose a fairly recent make from my lingerie drawer to change the straps on. I moved the front strap attachment on the cups inwards to a more central position, and at the back the straps now cross over. It’s proved quite successful, but I’m aware of the straps peeping out at the front from time to time, so I’ll make some little hidden bra loops with snap fasteners to hold them in place.
I’m very happy with the result of this project, and it’s so lovely to just pop a dress on when it’s a roasting hot summer’s day. It’s especially nice as you barely feel the weight of this fabric because it’s so airy, plus it stands away from your body to let the air flow…and also allows enough room for the consuming of a nice meal 😉 But you know, I’m a separates gal at heart, and I think I might sew up the top version of this design in some cotton batiste that I have. By the way, I also saw a video on Instagram the other day where someone had changed the back neck fastening on a similar style of pattern into a tie by extending the facing shape to create long tails. I’d love to try that.
Have you sewn with double gauze much? I’m still finding my way with it, but I know of some sewists who adore it. My sewing buddy shared a tip that helped me a lot, and it was to try using a walking foot, especially on things like facings, because the fabric can stretch a bit. If you have any tips, do share them in the comments.
Thanke for reading, see you soon!
