My heart is in Havana…

I’ve spent the past couple weeks singing this song…

Now that it’s in your head too, I can show you my new Havana dress and top, from the recently released pattern by Greenstyle.

The Havana is a departure from the athletic patterns that make up a large portion of the Greenstyle offerings, and despite having a deep and abiding love for sewing activewear, I’m so glad Angelyn created this pattern, because it’s just about everything I ever (didn’t know I) needed in a summer dress.

The Dress

To be honest, I went into the test skeptical- I don’t really wear many dresses, as I don’t find them practical for everyday mom life- I spent half my day doing dishes, and the other half picking play-doh out of the carpet, so long flowy dresses don’t usually make the cut. However, being a faithful tester meant testing the dress even if i wasn’t sure it would get a lot of wear time, so I dove in….and was totally hooked.

The simple silhouette was exactly what I need for summer- and not only can I move easily in this dress, but I can nurse in it as well, without any modifications!

I love that it makes me feel just the littlest bit glamorous…even when life isn’t.

I also love that with just a couple darts and a little binding, I can have one of these finished in a single session at my machine- for some reason, I just don’t love long drawn out projects in the summer.

This version was made from a rayon challis from Sly Fox Fabrics- I couldn’t resist the vibrant tie-dye print, and while challis isn’t always well behaved, it sure feels nice once it’s on.

If you look closely, you can see all my stripes don’t line up. I was working with a large pattern piece, on a shifty piece of fabric, with just the amount I needed. I decided perfect alignment wasn’t worth the headache! I can be a bit of a perfectionist, but I’m trying to let go and just enjoy the process a little more.

If you’re new to sewing wovens, this would be a great first project, and you can check out my wovens 101 post HERE for a few tips.

Don’t be intimidated by the bias binding- this is a skill that translates well from wovens to knits, and is really useful on a variety of garments- well worth the time it takes to learn. The clean finish inside is especially worth the effort, and next time I’ll even use french seams (by widening the seam allowance on the sides to 5/8″) to create an inside that’s as pretty as the outside.

The Top

My second version started out as a hack- I thought I’d try View A (the racerback), and shortened it to top length for versatility and to accommodate the smaller cut I had on hand (from Boho Fabrics).

It was such a hit, that Angelyn added it to the pattern- I love it when designers are responsive to their testers! This version took me less than a yard of fabric to create, and will go into instant rotation.

Several testers also made up the pattern in a knit fabric, sizing down to account for the stretch. I think this “hack” is up next for me as well- I’ve got loads of knits from my trip, just begging to be used!

Grab your pattern here while it’s on sale!

What about you- what’s your summer go-to outfit? Share it with me in the comments below!

If you want to see more of my work, I’d love to meet you on Pinterest or Instagram!

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4 Comments

  1. Laura Hamilton on July 2, 2018 at 8:15 am

    I’m confused – how does it work for nursing? Is there something I’m missing?

    • Sarah on July 2, 2018 at 8:58 am

      It is low enouh as drafted for me to nurse easily in it. You could also install nursing clips ln the straps for even easier access.

  2. Stephanie Allen on July 11, 2018 at 5:46 pm

    One half the day doing dishes, the other picking playdough off the carpet I can relate! Beautiful makes, and I understand giving up on stripe matching. It isn’t always possible or worth it!

    • Sarah on July 17, 2018 at 1:46 pm

      Exactly! #momlife- its crazy, but we wouldn’t trade it for anything, ya know!

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