By Hand London’s Flora dress is my go-to Summer dress pattern; I think I have around 10 of them now. It’s pretty easy to sew, the finish is great due to some clever lining techniques and it’s really easy to adapt, particularly the straps.
I’ve tried wide straps, double straps and thin straps so far as moderations to the normal pattern but this time I wanted something more playful to go with this Liberty Jess & Jean fabric. The print was made using make up from Nars and Laura Mercier so I thought it lent itself perfectly to this playful style.
I made the straps by just doubling the usual length and sewing 4 pieces, then attaching them separately to the front and back bodice, then obviously just tying them up to finish! It actually made the fit so much easier as I didn’t have to worry about the strap length.
I really like the result of this one, and I’m definitely going to try another in this style, maybe with a lower back and neck (for this one I only lowered them by about an inch).
Kate Eva 