Leini, the birthday dress

This past week marked the beginning of my last year as a thirty-something.  Eek!  There were several celebratory events (dinners here, here, and here–clearly I enjoy eating!), and for the latter two, I wore this lovely silk dress.

The pattern is from Named, the Leini Dress.  I chose it for the simple design (to blend in better in San Francisco) and elastic waist (see above comment about loving to eat).  

The fabric came from Stonemountain and Daughter at a recent trek to Berkeley.  It was in the 50% off rack, so I snapped up about 3.5 yards of the silk for about $12/ yard.  Such a steal!  The fabric is a bit sheer, so it might be a chiffon.  It was fairly easy to work with, and I hemmed it (successfully!) with a rolled hem foot on my machine.

For this pattern, I went with a straight size 36 based on the measurements.  This was definitely the correct size, however, I did make a few pattern alterations after making a partial muslin and reading other reviews/ seeing photos.  First, I lengthened the bodice by about 2″.  As a short person, I have never done this! However, I wanted the waistline to sit a little lower (at the top of my hips), and the elastic on most other versions seemed to be hitting at high waist.   I also chopped off many inches from the length (maybe 5-6″?) to make it a bit more youthful looking (see comment about being 39 this year).   The last alteration to the pattern was to line the skirt; since the fabric was fairly sheer and light, another layer made it a bit more modest (and swishy!).

The bodice pleating is a subtle design feature (at least when paired with this fairly wild print).

Overall, a great pattern and dress–perfect for date night at fancy (and not-so-fancy) places and very comfy, too!  I’d definitely like to make another in a solid navy or berry colored silk crepe.