it’s nani IRO month again, yay! was super flattered last year to be invited by miss matatabi to participate, and equally flattered this year. wanting to branch out a bit but remain very selfish with my nani IRO, i decided to use a pattern i’d been meaning to try since the day it was released – the Grainline alder dress.
the fabric i chose was a beautiful double gauze called Spectacle – it’s pink and lime green brush strokes on a light pink background. i love the hand painted aesthetic of nani IRO fabric, it feels effortless and it’s always so pretty. Frances has a great selection of nani IRO listed in her shop and even though she lives in Japan and I’m on the west coast of the US, her shipments seem to arrive impossibly fast! and yes, i got this fabric for free in return for blogging about it, but the prices really aren’t bad either.
if you’re looking to make yourself or someone you love something really gorgeous, nani IRO never disappoints.
as a general rule, i think double gauze can be a little tricky to sew, it can grow on you as you sew and you almost have to treat it like a knit (i think i’ve said that before), but once it’s done…oh it’s so soft and wonderful. doesn’t the print look like spring flowers in a meadow or something?
i sewed a size 6 and think the fit is really good – i didn’t make a muslin and i hadn’t sewn a Grainline pattern with darts before, so i was glad the placement worked out. i figured it would though, Jen knows her stuff. i’ve heard people say they needed to lengthen the alder dress but it’s perfect on me (i’m 5’4”). the sides curve up and yeah, maybe it hikes up a bit when i sit down, but nothing i can’t handle.
i lined the yoke with a scrap of light pink batiste that went perfectly.
i sewed view A with no changes other than using the collar stand only to create a mandarin collar – tutorial here though a tutorial isn’t super necessary – you just skip the collar and only use the collar stand. i actually didn’t realize i was supposed to put a button on the collar stand, oops! not like i’d button it all the way up anyway…but i should probably add it to make the dress more official.
one thing i did change was the method for sewing on the collar stand – i did it the oliver + s way, which has you fold up the inner bottom edge of the stand before sewing around the curved top, and then you attach the unfolded edge to the neckline. when you turn the collar up, the corners are forced inside. i loosely hand-basted the collar stand on before topstitching around the whole thing and it turned out nice and clean!
love the dress design and the fabric together – definitely one that i’ll wear a lot in the spring and summer. it looks great with a cardigan and though it’s a bit sheer, i wear a tank under everything anyway and don’t mind wearing a slip. the fabric is so light and soft it just makes me feel good to wear it – and i got a bunch of compliments the first day i wore it, too!
so guess what – Miss Matatabi is running a HUGE giveaway along with Nani IRO month this year – over $400 worth of fabric, bias tape, patterns, and pattern books! you can enter the rafflecopter right here. so good.
thanks again for having me, Frances! i love nani IRO!
skirt as top 
That is really cute! I have some Nani iro from my trip to NYC. I really should get sewing with it. 🙂
Beautiful!
that is some downright delicious double gauze! beautiful work!
It’s beautiful, Kristin! Thank you so much for taking part!
That fabric is so pretty! And the dress is beautiful, it looks so comfortable. I’ve never used double gauze, I think I need to try it.
Super cute!
It’s so pretty!! nani IRO + grainline studios is bound to be a wonderful combo AS YOU KNOW! 😛 What a perfect summer dress!
Oh my giddy aunt! I love everything about this dress! Thanks for hook up with giveaway😃
I’ve only sewn double gauze once before (a shirt dress for a kid) and holy cow, it felt like I was sewing for the first time ever! I did pick up some nani iro double gauze (the water window print, I think it’s called) and I’m totally stumped as to what to do with it! It’s heavier than I anticipated. Wish I had enough for an Alder now, because I am totally in love with your dress! Perfect in every way.
Very pretty, I also like the pattern and colors. Thanks for sharing.
looks so good. ive been playing with the double gauze lately too and its so nice to sew.
so pretty, kristin. this is a dress i’d love to make for myself! i’m really curious about what you are saying about double gauze. i’ve never really noticed that. the only thing i have noticed is that it can fray, so you have to be careful as to not clip the seam allowance too close to the stitching.
always great to see a post from you! lovely as always.
I’ve only every dreamed about working with double gauze, but nano IRO is at the top of that dream list, it is so beautiful!
You, the dress, the yard- all so pretty! I love the colors of the fabric. You picked a good one!
You nailed it! Lovely work. I have never used double gauze before but you piqued my interest!
Oh this is gorgeous. That fabric looks like a dream. And I’ve been debating on this pattern but was afraid it wasn’t a good style for me. After seeing yours though, I think I’ve changed my mind!
That dress and fabric scream summer, just beautiful!
the fabric is just gorgeous!
So gorgeous, Kristin! And I can’t believe that you didn’t make a muslin!!! I tried this pattern last year with a v neck but it needed a fba, which I also tried and failed at. Maybe this summer. Yours sure is inspiring!
So pretty! I love the print. Subdued and happy.
The dress is very pretty! Looks like it would be perfect for warm summer days.
That is one fantastic summer shirt dress. Nailed it Kristin!
I just bought some fabric similar to that and it is quite sheer? Are you wearing something under the dress?