Summer Sophia Dress

I just finished my first By Hand London dress, the loverly Sophia!! I immediately loved the design of the Sophia, and grabbed it up during their pre-sale sale. The mixture of the 8 darts and the angled cut of the straps is sooo modern and chic - Love it! I knew it would be the perfect dress to wear to spring/summer weddings.

Soo many darts!

I spent a lot of time looking at fabric, and originally had my heart set on a pretty wool/lurex blue and gold brocade but couldn't quite commit because of the price. Then I found this pretty (& reversible) cotton jacquard from Mood - in my budget and completely perfect. Cotton is a much better choice for summer anyways, and this fabric is also super comfortable and easy to dance in!

Sewing the bodice and lining together

I used the reverse side of the fabric for the bodice, it's not super noticeable but still a fun detail  :)  Overall, the dress was pretty simple to make and the BHL directions were great! The hardest part was matching the darts and keeping them from moving out of place while sewing. I pinned the darts together first - matching them carefully, and then continued with the rest of the pinning. I suggest using a lot of pins so your fabric doesn't slip the darts out of place.

Josh and I took pics while hiking through Pony Pastures park, along the James River in Richmond. It was a beautiful day, it is full-on summer here - so warm! I also wore the dress to my cousin's wedding last weekend (and finished it the night before!)!

Lovely lining!

Iowa wedding

This dress is going to get a lot of wear, it's so simple and comfy. I've been sewing up a storm lately! I have a couple pencil skirts and a tote bag in the works  :)

Photographer found in his natural habitat