Patter Review: Paradise Patterns Smultron Dress

Paradise Patterns is now available as part of the Maker Studio’s pattern collection! If you don’t already know, Paradise Patterns is an independent sewing pattern maker, and behind the business is the lovely Sanna. Sanna’s patterns are not only modern and beautiful, but they are also clear, detailed, and easy to follow. I have made a few different designs from Paradise Patterns: the Plumeria Top and the Hallon Dress, and both of these designs are absolutely stunning. Can you tell I’m obsessed? So it’s no surprise that I decided to make Sanna’s latest pattern, the Smultron Dress, for my next blog post.

The Dress

The Smultron Dress is a breezy, flowy dress, with all the bounce and twirl. It is cut on the bias, providing the most flattering silhouette. There are two different options for the dress: View A has a V-neck yoke and an elastic back; View B has a slightly curved yoke with back ties.

For my dress, I decided to sew the V-neck yoke from View A with the back ties from View B.

The Fabric

Woven fabrics are recommended for the Smultron Dress.

I decided to go with the Horizon Twill in the Terra Cotta. I love twill fabric – the gorgeous drape, the diagonal textured lines – it’s so unique compared to other fabrics. This one in particular is 100% Lyocell, which is one of the most sustainable fabrics out there, as it is made using natural materials and does not require toxic chemicals to produce. The Horizon Twill is also 5.9 oz/sq yd, which is light enough to be used for dress-making. I was sold. The Maker Studio carries the Horizon Twill in a variety of colours – Terra Cotta, Camo, Rust, Tumeric, Copper and Clay. You can find the selection here.

Pattern Review and Fit Notes

The outcome of the Smultron Dress in the Horizon Twill is my dream summer dress. Although summer is almost over here where I live, I plan on wearing this dress with a sweater and boots into the fall.

I measured between sizes 12 and 14 for this dress in my current 9-month pregnant body. However, I wanted to make sure that I would be able to wear this dress into postpartum and beyond. So I took a chance and cut a size 10, which was closer to my pre-pregnancy size. I hoped that because I would be using the back ties from View B, there would be enough ease to loosen or tighten the dress. Luckily, the dress fits me perfectly. So, if you are hoping for a tighter look, you may want to size down as there is a lot of ease in View B, considering the back ties and the low-cut back.

The pattern itself was very easy to follow, as with Sanna’s other patterns. The pattern also provides tips on how to lengthen or shorten the dress for a mini or maxi look. However, the pattern itself is designed to be (just above) knee-length in it’s original form. If you get stuck on a step, Sanna has created a tutorial/sew-along video for the pattern. As for sewing level, I would recommend this pattern for a confident beginner, who is willing to learn by trial and error with the use of a video tutorial. There are definitely some more challenging aspects to the pattern for beginners – such as the V-neck yoke. My version itself is not perfect – I could have fixed the puckering in the yoke – but 9-month pregnant me is in no mood to make things perfect. But that’s the lovely thing about me-made items – they are “perfect for me”.

If you’re looking for a cute summer dress, I highly recommend the Smultron Dress in the Horizon Twill!

Also, can we appreciate how (9-month pregnant) bump-friendly this pattern is?! And how gorgeous is the drape of this fabric? The perfect pairing! *chefs kiss* ~ C’est magnifique!