DIY Knit Cocoon Dress - Review of the Tacara Dress by Seamwork

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Today’s make feels like the perfect way to kick off the summer season. Because really this dress is all about the color. And if a super bright orange doesn’t say “Yay it’s summer!” then I don’t know what does. I really love the bright color of this dress and of course I also love the boxy silhouette.

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The fabric is something that I picked up from a bargain bin in the downtown LA fashion district a long time ago. It’s very, very lightweight with a little bit of texture to it. It’s almost too lightweight for a dress but I threw caution to the wind.

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This dress is made using the Tacara dress pattern from Seamwork magazine. If you’re not familiar with Seamwork, it’s a monthly online magazine and now also a sewing community. I always look forward to the first of every month because it means a new issue of Seamwork and two new patterns will be released. This dress has a very boxy cocoon shape that is similar to my Lou Box Dress 1 pattern. The big difference is that it is very fitted elbow length (or according to the pattern it’s 3/4 length) sleeves. I really love the contrast in proportions from the oversized body to the fitted sleeves. I also really like the center back seam. It’s a nice detail on an otherwise very simple garment.

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I made a size 8. My measurements (38.5" bust, 28.5" waist, 39.5" hips) put me between a size 8 and a size 10 but because this pattern has such generous ease, I felt confident going with the smaller size. I also added 5” to the length of the body because I’m 5’11” and it hits perfectly at my knee. To determine how much length to add, I think I just held the pattern up to my body along with a tape measure and looked in the mirror. When adding length, I don’t think there’s a cut and dry number formula because our bodies all have different proportions. For example, my thighs are a little longer than my shins so I need to add more length to get to my knees. Other people might have the same inseam that I do but have longer shins so a knee length dress could be shorter for them. I did not alter the length of the sleeves which is probably why they sit a little more on my elbow than the middle of my forearm.

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I mostly followed the instructions in the pattern but did a couple things my own way. The method of doing the pockets seemed overly complicated and I was looking for a quick and easy sew so I used this method from my Lou Box Dress sewalong. I suspect that the method in the instructions would make the pockets less visible. I just wasn’t feeling up for it. For the neckline, I just did my usual knit neckband technique (which I have a video about here).

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I really love how this dress turned out. I think it will be perfect for summer. The lightweight fabric and oversized nature will be great on super hot days. I’ve already worn it a couple of times and it’s not surprisingly super comfortable. And that color just makes it feel super fun and special.

Me Made May 2019 Recap

I’ve been doing Me Made May since 2013 (before I was even on Instagram!) and I’ve enjoyed it every year. I love getting to see how people wear their handmade clothing. And now that I’ve started designing patterns, I also get to see how people wear things made with my patterns. It adds a whole new dimension to the month.

Because I’ve been sewing garments for literally decades now, it’s not at all hard for me to wear something that I’ve made everyday. I usually am wearing something that I’ve made. Often, my entire outfit is me made. So, a goal for MMM did not feel as obvious to me. As May 1 approached, I considered what I could do that would be a fruitful challenge for me. I needed something that would keep my interest and hopefully teach me something too.

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So, I looked back at my photos from previous years. (Previous MMM blog posts: 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. No recap for 2018.) I couldn’t help feeling that my outfits used to be more fun. More colorful and creative. I decided that my goal would be to have more fun with my outfits. Most days it was fun to wake up and be challenged with having fun. (By the way, I’m an enneagram type 7 so a challenge to have fun is perfect for me.) As the month went on, I did tire of the challenge; especially on days when I was just going to be working at home and wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

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Looking back at past years, I think I am wearing fewer colorful things but it’s not super drastic. I’m living in a slightly cooler climate than the first few years I participated and that does limit my wardrobe choices. My summer dresses are just the most fun things in my wardrobe. I guess a takeaway for me is that I should consider incorporating more color into my wardrobe. I did buy a bunch of colorful fabric recently so that will certainly help.

I did try to wear different things everyday which wasn’t challenging because I have a lot of clothes. That did push me to wear things that I haven’t worn in a while and reminded me how much I loved them. In past years, I’ve changed up my accessories more often than I did this year. I’m a little more streamlined now carrying the same purse everyday (this one from Lo & Sons) and wearing the same shoes a lot. It really wasn’t warm enough this month for sandals so I stuck with flats or sneakers.

As far as actual garments, I really have something me-made in every category except for slim fit or skinny pants. Part of my Make Nine list this year includes the Ginger Jeans and I have grey stretch denim. So, this will be the year that I finally make the Gingers. I feel like everybody else has already made them a gajillion times so it’s high time that I tried the pattern myself.

I kind of wish I had had a bigger realization than “oh I need more jeans” but alas. It is what it is. I think about clothing all the time. And I make tons of things so it shouldn’t be a surprise that my wardrobe is packed with the things that I wear often. And things that I am happy to be wearing. So, I will continue doing as I have been. Sewing things I’m excited to try and using fabric from my stash.