Gingham Linen Poppy Dress

Last January I had big plans for myself, as one occasionally does at the beginning of a new year. I thought I’d try something new, an organized way to jump start my personal sewing plans, I was going to try the Make 9 Challenge. Well my friends, that did not go according to plan. I found it stifling to have already planned out an entire year’s worth of sewing before the end of January. I was constantly stressed because “I said on social media I was going to do this” but instead was sewing other things. Things NOT on my Make 9 list. Things I felt like I couldn’t post about because I was supposed to be sewing these other things I said I would be sewing.

I’ve since come to my senses and the challenge wasn’t all bad, though it was very much a failure as far as sewing those 9 items. I remembered that I do not like being stuck to such a rigid schedule, and I also remembered that nobody cares if I sew these 9 random garments I said I’d sew or not. So instead of revisiting my Make 9 garment plans, this year I’m going rogue and sewing whatever I feel like, whenever I feel like it. I’ve also decided to post those garments I made that weren’t on my list from last year, starting with this gingham linen Poppy Dress!

This Poppy Dress was the first one I made for myself after the pattern instructions and illustrations were finished, but before everything was tech edited and tested. It’s not the first time I sew up the pattern, obviously, but it’s usually the first time I feel comfortable using one of the fabrics I’ve earmarked for a new pattern during the development process. For the Poppy it was this linen gingham from Blackbird Fabrics. I bought it ages ago, a group shipping purchase with some friends in town. I wasn’t sure what to do with it at the time, did we purchase that pre-pandemic? I can’t remember now, but as soon as the Poppy was underway I knew it was a perfect match.

If you’re a longtime reader here, you may remember that I’m not the biggest stickler on pattern matching, much to the disappointment of many. I’ve gotten your angry emails, I know you’re out there, and you know what? It’s fine. It’s fine if I don’t match my pockets to make them invisible on my shirt and it’s also fine if you do! For this Poppy I did match my gingham across the bodice & sleeves, I’m not a monster, but there’s really no matching the skirt tiers with the gathering. This may bother some people but I like it. I love that it really emphasizes the different tiers, setting them off from the one above, and adds a more graphic element to a soft detail like gathering. I cut the yoke, button bands, and cuffs on the bias for two reasons. One, because I love the way it looks, and two, no pattern matching. To be clear I love pattern matching when it matters to me, but I also love cutting a plaid or gingham on the bias to highlight the design elements of a garment.

I love wearing this Poppy Dress, the linen is soft on the skin but crisp enough that it really holds the silhouette beautifully. I don’t love pressing this thing, but that’s what steamers are for right? My favorite way to wear this dress is with my beloved Bryr Chonks, I think it cuts the femininity of the dress a bit which is a must for me. I’d really like to make a Poppy with a slightly larger scale black and white gingham and pair it with a vest I’m currently knitting. It’s such an easy garment for me to wear that I now own quite a few and wear them year round. So if you come across a black & white gingham linen that I have to see, let me know! Help make my Poppy dreams come true!

As I hinted above, I’ve got more Poppy Dresses from last year to share in future posts, and a few other garments as well. but none of them will be from my Make 9. Please, if I start talking about planning that far in advance again, you have my permission to tell me to chill out.