Violet Dress & Top – Pattern Testing for Bella Sunshine Designs

Summer’s my favorite season – Cheerful sunny days, annoyingly bright sunlight streaming through the windows, late sunsets, fruits all kinds of fruits, no school and no lunch boxes, beach picnics and summer breezy dresses!!! I love summer tunics and dresses, and I love shopping for them, but this is actually my first time sewing a summer dress for myself – The Violet Dress & Top by Bella Sunshine designs is everything you’d want for in a breezy summer dress (aff)*. It’s a comfortable knit dress which is well fitted and has a pretty flounce (that is optional) in the front, and a delicate looking back with criss cross straps.

I made this out of a poly spandex knit with sort of a border print that I wish I had a little bit more of, so I’d have been able to center the print but I still love it!! Fabric is from Fine Fabrics.

Isn’t the back detail lovely? I loved learning how to make these delicate looking spaghetti straps (with clear elastic for added stretch and stability) from this pattern. Between the straps and the lovely flounce, I can’t decide which is my favorite feature!

One thing that I really love about the Violet Dress & Top is the fit, it’s just perfect (aff)*. I have a small frame and it’s not unusual for me to have gaping at the neckline and under the arms in ready to wear dresses. So it was a pleasant surprise when I wore this dress for fit check and realized how comfortable and flattering it was with absolutely no weird gaping anywhere.

Another reason why I really like using Bella Sunshine Designs is how much importance is given to neat finishing details, both on the inside and outside.

I am shorter than average so I shortened the pattern piece by an inch as soon as I printed the pattern out. Admittedly I was worried it might be a bit too short, but I love it, length and everything!

It bugs me so much that the design is not in the center back 😦 but oh well! I was working with a remnant fabric here.

I have a few Bella Sunshine Designs patterns by now and I love how effortlessly a project sewn with a BSD pattern goes. Their instructions and pattern pieces are impeccable, not to mention how perfect I find the fit – It’s always a bonus when you don’t have to fiddle with fitting right?

The Violet Dress & Top, (on release sale for $9.00) goes from sizes 0-20 with pattern pieces included for larger cup sizes as well which means no adjustments required! This quick summer sew can be made with or without the flounce, and the length of the straps can be adjusted as well!

What’s even more wonderful is that this pattern comes in girl sizes too! – The Violet Dress & Top for girls is now available for $7.00 (release sale price) or you can get both the ladies and girls pattern as a bundle – The Violet Dress & Top – Bundle for only 12.00 now. (aff)

*I was given the pattern for free in exchange for testing the pattern, but all opinions in the review are my own.