Twin floral sun dresses

Some women usually change their wardrobes following fashion seasons and trends, disposing or donating what they don't see fit to use anymore and rotating their clothes completely by the end of the year, or at least every once in a while. On the other hand, some other women tend to simply keep all their clothes even when they don't use them, because you never know when they might come in handy and, after all, trends tend to come back. The latter is the case of my mother's closet.

Throughout the years I've received a few vintage clothing inheritances from my mom, some of which have become quite useful and precious to me. One of my favorite pieces is a rayon sun dress printed with a tropical pattern of flowers and leaves in blue, green, purple and black. The garment is made by Kosi Bali, an old clothing brand which specialized in rayon clothing. The sole fact that it's made of rayon makes me love it immensely, since it is one of my all-time favorite fabrics to wear and work with.

I had to make a couple of alterations to the dress in order to fit me properly. One of the spaghetti straps was loose and had been shortened, so I let go the other strap and used them tied up halter-style. I also added two side pleats to the midriff area to make it tighter-fitting, since it was a size L. Other than that, the dress was (and still is) in incredible shape. Thank God for rayon being quite a durable fabric! I'd dare say this dress is among the ones I use the most, since I find it very versatile. It works well-paired with a fancy jacket, a button-up shirt or a basic cardigan. Throw in a pair of heels, sandals or flats and they'll look amazing together. Wear them with leggings or pantyhose and it's a hit. Accessorize and comb your hair accordingly... anyway it fits!

For these particular reasons, and because I found a beautiful and similar rayon fabric stuffed in our old fabric stash, I decided to clone the dress and give it a twin brother. Perhaps the cloning technique that I used was a bit crazy, but then again I hadn't sewn too many things yet. Thankfully, everything turned out OK. I cut out two pieces: one for the front and one for the back. I split the back piece in two in order to insert the zipper. Also, it seemed like the fabric wouldn't be big enough, but I managed to work well with it and make the dress fit within its limits. This twin dress also features side pleats and halter-tied spaghetti straps.

When you look at both dresses side-by-side, they truly look like they come from the same fashion brand, but little do people know that one of them is a clone. Not only are these dresses versatile, they're also really girly, comfortable and flowy. Rayon is quite a soft fabric, not too sheer, but not too heavy. It's also both warm and fresh. That's why I love rayon fabric so much! In addition to these features, rayon usually comes in beautiful prints, like the ones seen in these dresses. I really think this fabric was meant to turn into a twin dress to the first one, because they're so, so similar. For a relaxed beach style, I paired both of them with black flats, a stingray barb necklace, dry petal earrings and a high side hair braid.

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My lovely seamstress-inspired dress

Calling myself a professional seamstress is too much for me, but I do consider the experience I've harvested through these last years has developed my sewing skills, being able to handle more defying projects every day as a self-taught seamstress. I really can't put into words the way I feel when I walk into a fabric store and face shelf upon shelf stacked up with endless fabrics. The colors, the textures, the smells, the prints... everything revolves around me awaking my senses. Every visit to a fabric store is a unique experience for me.

There was one particular visit that made me thrive in enthusiasm. It happened about a year or so ago. I was rummaging through the cotton fabrics (as usual) and came across a new row of printed textiles. While idly choosing a couple of potential candidates, my jaw dropped as soon as I spotted it: a black fabric printed with colorful sewing-related items and words. It was inevitable, and I immediately fell in love with it. Naturally, I had to have it, especially because as soon as I saw it I visualized the garment that would come out of it.

The dress you see in these pictures was the fabulous outcome of that meant-to-be encounter. It has simple construction, featuring a bodice with a semi-gathered skirt attached just below the waist. The top is criss-crossed by four thin straps that form a double "X" on the back, adding in a nice detail. The black background of the cotton fabric makes a great contrast with each of the items presented: colorful thread spools and buttons, seam rippers, needles, pin holders, thimbles, scissors, measuring tapes, and four basic words for a seamstress: Sew, Baste, Stitch and Hem. You can also spot a pink stitched heart that conveniently reads "Love to sew".

The dress is very light, unrestrained and extremely comfortable, perfectly made to walk around in it. In fact, I took it for a stroll at Islands of Adventure and even got nice compliments from a super sweet clerk in one of Toon Lagoon's shops, who told me she came from a family of seamstresses and hat makers. By the way, did you know that the art of making hats is called "millinery"? In the photos I paired up the dress with my beloved black cardigan by Doll Me Up, and my new pair of uber comfortable gray and aqua slip-ons by Champion (from Payless Shoes Source). I also combined it with a pair of neon yellow D Heart heels.

It seems that every time I confect a new garment it becomes one of my favorites... But this dress really is one of my favorites, especially because it is directly related to my love for sewing.

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