Wrap Version 2.0

So it's not in the shades of the ocean, as planned here. I decided that this other chevron fabric had a nicer drape and went with it instead.

I'm going to share some instructions on how to make this wrap dress, because it's very easy. But I'm not going to insult (or even just frustrate) you by doing a full 100-step tutorial because it will come out different for different bodies; instead, all you need is this overview picture

and some annotations, and you should be good to go. 

You need to start with a rectangle whose width is roughly 1.5 -1.75 times the circumference of the widest part of your body. For most people, this will be their bust or their hips. Now, in the diagram, it says "1.5 -1.6 times" because that's the ratio that works for this particular stretchy lycra-blend jersey. If you were using a non-stretchy fabric like the rayon in my Version 1.0, you'd be more comfortable with a bigger ratio.

Two things have been done to change the shape of the initial rectangle:

1. Armcyes in the upper corners. Cut these small to start and fit them against your body, cutting them wider and deeper if needed. If you are using a non-stretchy fabric (like my rayon), you might want to consider armhole darts for a more fitted armscye and less gaping.
2. Curved bottom corners and tapered sides, to shape the front flap of the dress and to reduce the amount of fabric that hugs your legs as you walk. You'll shape these sides at the last stage of construction - again, it will be different for every body and the fabric you use, so don't ask me for angles or ratios or whatever.

The length of the dress (i.e. the height of the rectangle) is again dependent on personal preference. 

Let's go back to the armscye for a while now. You can do many things with the armscye, e.g.

• serge or rolled-hem the edge and attach straps
• Bind it with bias tape in a loop

I was using a stretchy knit, so I bound it with a straight strip of the same material (see tutorial for knit binding here) and left the ends loose 

to tie in a knot. I wanted it adjustable mostly because I wasn't sure how this fabric would hold up to heavy use and I didn't want it to stretch over time and leave me with saggy armholes.

The back drapes in folds - the tighter the wrap around your body, the lower and more drapey the back will be. 

Well, go forth and plan for summer now, friends! After a brief departure from ashen skies and depressing cold (lasted two? three? days), it's back to being odiously grey and icky outside again today. 

Unrelated, I'm suffering from serious Sherlock withdrawal symptoms. Finished Season 2 yesterday while on the treadmill and now I don't know what to do with myself. How many thousand hours must I wait before Season 3 turns up? Incidentally, my very good friend stood behind Benedict Cumberbatch in line at the P.O. once and carried out a bit of a conversation with him. Why don't I ever meet anyone at the P.O when I'm there, emburdened with brown paper packages of etsy stuff for you guys? Maybe because you'd drop all those packages on your own foot and hop around in pain and make a right fool of yourself in front of said Anyone, my sense of reason soothingly assures me. 

Regardless, I have no more Sherlock to watch. And to cope, I'm drowning my sorrows in fabric and sewing clothes. When I hate sewing clothes (remember? How I'd rather buy them? And how, whenever I have no choice but to sew clothes, I procrastinate by making cardboard toys and attending rock concerts?). So when I actually pick sewing clothes as a means of therapy... this is how I know things are really, really bleak. 

Oh, wait - I just looked out the window and . . . it's snowing. Ha. Ha. Ha. I think the bottom officially just fell completely out.