There are certain prints that I simply have to have in my wardrobe. And if my favourite winter outfits are more about checks, summer ones are all about floral and fruit prints. A lemon dress was on my wish list for a while, but I couldn’t find the appropriate fabric for years.

I’ve already sewn so many 50s-style dresses that sometimes it’s difficult to pick a completely new style. That’s exactly what I was thinking about when I saw the gorgeous Jardin lemon fabric. I have some vintage reproduction patterns in my stash that I didn’t use yet, but they all require lighter fabrics. This one is quite a thick stretch sateen. For this type of material, I prefer designs with no folds or even darts, not to mention gathers which are a big no-no in this case. The perfect design for this type of sateen is a bodice with princess seams and a 3/4 or full circle skirt.

 I ended up using the bodice pattern that ticked all of the boxes for me - it’s #109 5/2019 from Burda Style. It features princess seams, an absolutely perfect V-neckline and built-in cap sleeves. Why is the neckline perfect? It’s not revealing and it doesn’t open up. What else could you ask from a V-neckline?

I adjusted the pattern slightly by bringing in some excess in the seams - quite a regular adjustment for something made out of a stretchy fabric. I interfaced the armholes with some bias tape made out of the viscose lining fabric. It allowed me to avoid the bulk of the added layers of the main fabric in this area. And, of course, the non-stretchy fabric provided some stability.

The skirt is a 3/4 one. It’s longer than usual for me because the idea of the dress is to be more of an evening garment. It was an absolute breeze to work with this fabric. It’s not only super cute, but it washes, cuts and presses so well too. As always with sateen, I used a ballpoint needle and the same pins. I’m absolutely in love with my new lemon dress and I can’t wait to find an occasion to wear it.

I used: