I’ve been reading the reviews of this Colette Patterns dress for some time and decided that it might be a really useful addition to my summer casual wardrobe. I bought the pattern a few months ago and forgot about it until the weekend, when I spent a happy Friday night cutting and sticking and then Saturday making. I found this green and white spot in my stash, leftover from this Bronte top. Perfect. I looked at the pattern sizing and it looked small. Then I read that it’s made with negative ease, a concept which strikes fear into my heart, but I went with my actual size as instructed, and yes, it’s tiiight!

Apart from the need for some weight loss, I love this dress. It’s casual and stylish, and green and spotted, and has pockets – all my boxes ticked.

I decided to do the original collar because I liked the rather charming detail at the back, although I think my execution is somewhat lacking – I was trying hard to align the spots. Now I’ve seen the photographs I might be doing a bit of a revision.

I will make this dress again, but I will lengthen the front bodice a tad, and I will be a bit fussier about the amount of stretch the fabric has. Although I love this spotted fabric, it doesn’t have much stretch, which is why it feels a bit snug.

The details: Pattern is Moneta by Colette Patterns with fabric from Spotlight, bought eons ago. This dress is a quick make, and the use of elastic to gather the waist evenly is clever because it also helps the dress stretch over the body, given how tight it is. I chose the three-quarter sleeves because I wanted this to be a spring dress – although spring abandoned me as soon as I had made it. This is a casual dress that looks dressy enough for work or lunch or shopping.

Oops, I just discovered a tailor’s tack in the pocket after I clicked the remote on the camera.