So in an attempt to beat the freezing cold UK weather I bought some wool jerseys to make warm winter dresses. This is the first; a repeat of Burda 122-09-2010 made in a very stable violet coloured wool blend from Ditto Fabrics. I think I must have had about the last of it because it’s not on their website any more.
The colour is amazing. I’ve yet to get a photo that does it justice; they all come out too blue. In real life it is definitely violet, not a colour I normally wear. I was googling ‘violet’ in the hope of finding a clever post title, to be told by Wikipedia that ‘violet is the color most commonly associated with the extravagant, the individualist, ambiguity, the unconventional, and the artificial.’ Hmmm yeah.
The original pattern didn’t have sleeves. It’s hard to describe what it did have; the best I can do is ‘strange flaps over the shoulders’. At some point in the past, inspired by Melissa, I redrew the armscye on my tracing so that the sleeves from McCalls 2401 fitted onto it. Much better.
Here’s a back view. Sadly all the great seam detail in the pattern doesn’t really show up in these pictures. The front and back yoke seams show, but that’s because there’s an extra thickness of fabric there. I always cut the front and back yokes twice and use those as facings, sewing both layers in the yoke seams.
This one’s a bit better for the seam detail. I’m told it’s going to go colder again next week so I think this is going to be getting a lot of wear in the near future. Never mind extravagant and artificial, this dress is definitely warm and cosy.
Catherine Daze's Blog 
This dress is amazing … I can see the seams and does really make it special … The color in the photos is nice but I’m sure violet must be even cooler … I think I need this dress
Love it. Killer color. Very smart to add the sleeves.
Love this! The seams are great and the vibrancy of the colour is amazing (even if it looks blue to us). Unfortunately/fortunately it’s rarely cold enough where I am to need a dress with sleeves
Love it! Did you have to resize it (I think it’s either a tall or a petite pattern?). You always do such great work. Love it with the pirate boots, wish I could see it’s true violet wonderfulness but I can imagine.
Thanks! The original pattern is a petite so it had to be lengthened. It took me a couple of goes not to get a seam right across my bust because it seemed very short in the top half, less so on the bottom.
What an incredible dress Catherine, I especially love all the cool seam details! It’s very flattering, you look fab in it!
Fabulous! Amazing colour on you and I love the seam details
Great colour and clever sleeve switch. I much prefer your version to the ‘flaps’ on the original.
Looks great, I like it much better with the long sleeves
I love this! The sleeves are perfect!
You left off beautiful…cozy, warm & beautiful! Adding the sleeves just makes this dress even more perfect. Enjoy wearing it this week!
Lovely dress!
This looks rad on you and those mustard tights make the colour pop! What a fabulous winter make 😀
What a great job… I love this blue…it looks very warm.
Gorgeous dress!
Sharp and just extravgant enough!
Nice-that colour goes well with your hair and the mustard tights!
Great dress, and the seaming is v. cool on you – well done Catherine on a another great make 🙂
Stunning dress, the color must be marvelous. You look really good in this!
A triumph! It looks great! Nicely done!
This is a great pattern and an absolutely beautiful interpretation of it 🙂 I just recently added sleeves onto a jersey dress too – isn’t it a dream to wear? 🙂
Such beautiful seaming! And what a great color.
Great dress and don’t the violets are blue?
Beautiful, what wonderful seam detail! and the color is so pretty, nice to see color in the winter.
Wonderful dress and I am imagining the colour. Thank god for wool knit dresses for winter.
Absolutely stunning! Good riddance to those odd shoulder canopies! I love it so much more with long sleeves 🙂
This dress is just stunning! I love the seam detailing!
great dress and the color agrees with you.
It’s wonderful, and really suits you, in the style and colour. Beautifully made, as always.
Whatever colour it is it looks gorgeous and should brighten up any winter day.
Gorgeous dress! Makes me sorry I let my Burda subscription lapse. You look fab!
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Great dress! I sewed this one up twice, too. Good solution for the facings!
Oh, goodness, that is SUCH a lovely color on you…no matter what you name it!
The seaming detail is fabulous, and this is a perfect dress for you!
That’s a pretty awesome make. I’ve had this burda pattern on my to-sew list for aaaages… and I even have the perfect blueberry coloured ponte knit to make it from. I just keep putting off the whole de-petite-ing this. But seriously, I haven’t seen a version of this dress I haven’t liked yet, and this is no exception.
On the difficulty of capturing deep violet hues on camera… considering its at the upper end of the light spectrum, I don’t half wonder if the degree of light refraction is difficult for our cameras to catch, hence why it never comes out right – more royally blue than visciously violet. The frequencies at that end of the rainbow are slow… hence why the sky appears blue to us. Just makes you appreciate how incredible our little eyeballs are 😉
Gorgeous dress!
This piece is so gorgeous. And so Catherine! Looks super cozy. I bet you’re going to get a lot of wear out of it.