Project Notes: The Katherine Dress & sewing for the sake of JOY<3
A behind the scenes look at the making of a Namesake dress, from first idea to finished garment. Plus, some thoughts on creating joy, stitch by stitch.
[FTC Disclosure: The post contains affiliate links for Mood Fabrics, and I receive a commission for any purchases made by you on the affiliate website using such links.]
I’m making my own namesake piece right now for something special, and it really does feel just like me. All the details…
From The Mood Board…
Unsurprisingly, ~the ocean~ is a major source of inspiration for this project. And I’m working with a nautical influence, of course. More on that later :)
I like to give my projects storylines in my head, and I loosely imagine this dress as one created from the remnants of a sailboat…the heavyweight cotton + corded rope + crisp lines + drawstring-created volume remind me of sails catching wind. Can’t you see her on a boat somewhere?!
Fabrics + Notions for this make:
Carbon Blue Italian Cotton Poplin: https://tidd.ly/3WaCaoE
Theory Navy Blue Soft Polyester Lining Fabric: https://tidd.ly/4cTdruj
Cotton Poplin by Theory - Cream: https://tidd.ly/4bxRmQX
Nautical Enamel Buttons - found at Savannah Fabric Company in Savannah, GA and Mood Fabrics in NYC
Ivory 100% Cotton Cord (12mm) - Hobby Lobby
The Process: Watch Part I & 2 here…
I went through so many ideas before I finally came up with my design for this dress. Originally I was going to make a short little full skirt sundress to try to use up some of the fabric I already have in the studio.
Spoiler alert: I never wear dresses like that. So I don’t know what I was thinking lol. A long summer sundress in crisp fabrics is kind of a signature of mine, even before sewing. And if there is one thing I know to be true, it’s that I *have* to be over the top excited to sew a dress before I start the project in order for it go well.
I’m so glad I gave it time and kept iterating on the pattern design because now I am obsessed with it <3
(We use this term liberally these days but I am being literal….I couldn’t wait to get out of bed each morning to work on this dress!)
Part 1: Mood Boarding, Pattern Drafting, & Pattern Cutting
Part 2: Sewing, Fitting, & Beginning the Finishes
And Part 3 with a final dress reveal is coming so soon!
Side note…a goal of mine this year is to release my first digital sewing pattern. Maybe this dress?! I’ll put out a call here and on Instagram for pattern testers if/when the time comes : )
Sewing to Create Joy: the Story in the Seams
Bear with me while I hit a more serious note. I want to talk a little about how this dress came to be and why I feel so strongly about fostering creativity.
I decided a little while ago to make this dress because…I needed it.
This feels like a good time to share an article that resonated deeply with me this spring. In her New Yorker essay, “Piecing for Cover”, Ayelet Walden shares how quilting and needlework can be one of the best coping mechanisms for our most difficult moments. I love her exploration of the neuroscience behind sewing. Definitely worth a read if you have a minute!
And that method of using a tactile craft to mediate overwhelming emotions or circumstances perfectly explains how my dress came to be!
ICYMI I’m a Navy spouse coming up on the end of a particularly trying deployment. Without going into *too* many details, trust me when I say it’s been a tougher-than-normal few months with my husband at sea.
Many women in my position know what I mean when I say I often feel a profound sense of loneliness existing right alongside the immense pride I have for what my husband does, a daily tension that can pull you apart if you’re not careful.
And for us at least, the mental challenge is often even harder than the physical separation. You really have to get comfortable giving up the sense of control over your own life with what feels like a blind faith at times…trust that the days will pass, you’ll hear their voice again at some point, they’ll be home soon, and it will all be ok. And worth it.
I think it’s important to note that all these themes and feelings I’m sharing are not isolated to the experience of a military spouse.
All of us will at some point experience the feeling of losing control. We’ll all experience great sadness or disappointment or loneliness. But I also believe with my whole heart that we all have the ability to create and appreciate great joy in all circumstances.
For me, sewing is one way to bring forth that peace which becomes joy. Just like the author of that New Yorker article describes.
I cope with all the big emotions I feel by creating something tactile. It’s so therapeutic for me when I can turn this emotion or stressor into a thing of physical beauty.
This dress is the manifestation of a really trying period turned into something good. A time that I dreaded has become a time of growth, deep friendship, creative development, and personal reflection. I’m really proud of that. And I’m really proud of this dress.
I know this is all very heavy sounding, so I hope the big idea isn’t lost. If there’s one thing I’m tremendously thankful for this year it’s the renewed appreciation I’ve found for joy. And intentional optimism. And time together. And a beautiful dress!
I created this dress just for my own sake with the intentions to wear it when I finally welcome my husband home. With every stitch, that reality feels more and more real. In a chaotic time it’s kept me focused on what really matters at the end of the day: cherishing every second we get with the people we love most.
I really can’t wait for the Katherine Dress to make her debut. <3
About the Author:
is an ex-Influencer turned slow fashion enthusiast with a corporate marketing 9-5, and a million creative side projects keeping her busy 5-9 (plus, most other hours). The Namesake Journal shares her style notes, sewing project explorations, and reflections for the every-day artists crafting creative inner lives.
PS: Find the latest sewing projects at @namesakesewingstudio on Instagram <3