New dress: Wiksten shift 2 in rayon challis

The second iteration of this dress, and this time in something with much more drape. Jess from La Mercerie collaborated with artist Nerida Hansen earlier this year to produce this collection of stunning abstract prints on a midweight rayon challis and, despite being on a fabric ban (ha!), I couldn’t resist and snapped up a couple of pieces. I knew fairly quickly that I wanted to use this print for another Wiksten shift after my successful first attempt at the pattern. I didn’t actually whip it up until New Year’s Eve though, when I decided to go ahead and make another version of the longest length (in size 14) for a night out with the husband.

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IMG_0228 Continue reading “New dress: Wiksten shift 2 in rayon challis”

New dress: Wiksten shift in Nani Iro Kokka double gauze

The Wiksten shift is a pattern that has been super-popular this year. When I first saw it, I was definitely like, “Meh”, because , as mentioned in previous posts, the boxy shift silhouette has never been part of my repertoire, owing to a curvy figure that needs some definition. However, my feelings started to change when I saw my friend Melizza (@melizzamakes), who tested the garment for Jenny Wiksten, fashion not just one, but multiple gorgeous versions. Still, I thought, maybe it just looks amazing on Melizza (which would certainly not be out of the question). Then I saw other versions pop up – on all shapes and sizes – and, I kid you not, EVERYBODY – and I really mean everybody – looks fantastic in this dress. Check out #wikstenshiftdress on Instagram and see for yourself.

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There’s something about the proportions of the dress: the neckline and sleeves, versus the length and width; I can’t say what exactly, but Jenny Wiksten got this draft bang on. I reached tipping point sometime in June and went from being indifferent to this pattern to being practically desperate to make one overnight. I had a few other garments in my queue to finish first, but browsed through my stash and, because this shape is such a vehicle for showing off a fabric, had literally dozens of suitable pieces I wanted to use. Continue reading “New dress: Wiksten shift in Nani Iro Kokka double gauze”