Lauren was honoured to attend the Cup Eve Reception hosted by Her Excellency Professor the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria, as a guest of Millinery Australia. The evening has been held since the first Melbourne Cup run in 1861 and brings together members of the racing industry to celebrate the Melbourne Cup and its contribution to the state. It is a special event that calls for a special outfit.
Fabric: Silk from Les Coupons de Saint Pierre
Lauren found this beautiful fabric at Les Coupons de Saint Pierre a few years ago when she was in Paris. It is quite a light fabric type compared to what we usually sew with, but she loved the design and felt it would one day create something special. It had been waiting in our stash until this moment, and the Bella Dress.
Pattern: Bella Dress by Lizzie Studio
We had seen a few stunning versions of the Bella Dress and it looked like a great pattern for this this type of fabric.
The Bella Dress features a dropped shoulder and side gathering. There is an optional slit that adds a touch of allure, while the invisible side zipper ensures a sleek silhouette.
This is an interesting pattern as the centre front is straight, but due to the design lines and details, it has the feeling of a bias dress, but this worked perfectly for the somewhat unexpected stripe in the floral print of the fabric.
You can find this pattern on Lizzie Studio’s Etsy here (affiliate link)
Finished Project
This dress was quite a quick sew as it only had two pieces but it is important to make sure you keep the pattern pieces right side up when cutting as it is asymmetrical. We have another similiar weight fabric in the stash which would also sit really well in this Bella dress so it certainly won’t be our last version of this pattern.
Photo Credits
Fabric: Silk Satin purchased from Les Coupons de Saint Pierre
Patterns: Bella Dress by Lizzie Studio (affiliate link)
Millinery: Lauren J Ritchie Millinery
