Statement Dress in Liberty’s New Grayson Perry Fabric

Carolyn has stitched up something truly spectacular for summer – a bold and joyful Natasha Dress using the new Grayson Perry ‘Shirley Smith’ print. Here’s Carolyn to chat about her make:

“The minute I set eyes on Liberty’s new Autumn/Winter collection, I just knew I had to make a dress with ‘Shirley Smith’ design by Grayson Perry, in the beautiful blue colourway. I decided I wanted to wear this all year round, and chose the sleeveless Natasha Tiered Dress pattern by Liberty (View C). It’s perfect to wear with a t-shirt, silky polo neck and cute tights in the colder weather.”

“It is the fourth time I have made a version of this dress and it’s so versatile. You can change up the sleeves and neckline if required. It’s so adaptable and quick to make”

“For my dress, I dropped the neckline by an inch, and I also lowered the waist as I am long waisted. I chose the tiered skirt option, which isn’t something I would normally pick but I LOVE it!”

“As the print is directional, I purchased 3 metres of fabric. You’ll need more if you’re adding the sleeves and making the tiered skirt.”

“I lined the bodice using the burrito method in white Tana Lawn, as it really made the fabric pop. This was the first time I have attempted this technique and I am definitely smitten. No more facings to sew in or interface and a lovely clean finish.”

“As I didn’t want to hand gather all the skirt tiers, I used my overlocker to gather them and I was very happy at how fast it was at completing the task! I will be using this a lot more in the future!”

“I wore the dress to an event at my local pub and had lots of wonderful comments asking where I got the dress from. It was definitely a conversation starter!”

“The dress makes me so happy and I am going to enjoy it every time I put it on. I hope this has inspired you to choose a Liberty fabric that you love for your next sewing project.”

With love, Carolyn x x