Sewaholic's Saltspring Dress V1

The Saltspring dress by Sewaholic has my heart. I'm jet lagged from going to Ohio and having to stay unexpectedly overnight in Phoenix due to bad weather, but I'm still going to get started on another version of this dress when I get home because I can't get it out of my mind!

Luke and I went to Ohio to see my dad and took these photos on Ohio Wesleyan's campus. It was hot and humid for this California girl, but luckily this dress saved the day. If it's over eighty degrees I start freaking out and melting hahah. What can I say, the beach is really close to my house, so I am pretty spoiled when it comes to nice weather :)

Back to the sewing, you guys, I can't say enough good things about this pattern. It's straightforward to sew (although there is a sew along going on right now if you need some extra help), super comfortable, and the longer length (View B) makes me feel so glamorous.

I can see this dress being styled for a casual beach day, a day of sight seeing (like I did in Ohio!), or dressed up with some cute wedges and a long necklace. There are so many options!

There seems to be some hesitation on whether this silhouette will work for some people based on their height. I was one of these people, but this pattern has converted me. I'm not the tallest or the shortest (5'5), but I think the pattern works for me!

I loveeee my fabric choice and was so happy to find this at my local store, Betty's. The bolt wasn't labeled, but I think it's a voile. Whatever it is, it's super light weight and comfortable.

Before starting to sew I was kind of confused on the whole blousing thing. Once I saw the pieces cut out it all made sense. The lining piece is slightly shorter than the bodice front. When the bottom pieces are lined up and sewn together the top bodice piece bubbles because it's a little longer. It's very clever because throughout the day you're not yanking at the bodice trying to get it to lay correctly.

The narrow tied straps aren't really my thing, so I opted to use a thick strap on each side. Caroline (the one in charge of the sew-along), gave some other ideas for the straps here.  I followed her technique and am very pleased with the results. Thanks for being awesome, Caroline!

What I am NOT pleased about is this little tear I got in my fabric :(!!!! It's front and center on the blouse and I'm not sure how I managed to do it. Hopefully, some Fray Check will save the day...