asmita’s santa rosa dress
We absolutely adore Asmita's new Santa Rosa Dress! Her creation is the quintessential warm-weather dress, crafted from beautiful linen that feels both luxurious and practical. It’s the kind of dress you can imagine yourself wearing every day. Here, Asmita walks us through her fitting process and shares some valuable insights along the way.
When deciding whether to make the dress or the top version of a pattern, my choice often comes down to the amount of fabric required. Naturally, the top usually wins since it uses less material, and starting with a top allows me to gauge the fit and comfort level before committing to a dress. However, when the Santa Rosa pattern came out, I instinctively chose the dress version—something I hadn't planned on doing. Its simple A-line silhouette was appealing, but what truly sold me was how perfect it seemed for summer, especially with its sleeves (I tend to avoid sleeveless summer dresses). I also knew right away that I’d be using one of my more expensive linens from my stash—a bold move for me, as I usually prefer to test patterns in cheaper fabrics first.
Fitting Process
With the decision to make the dress set, the next step was selecting the right size and creating a muslin. My measurements are as follows: Bust 33", Waist 31", Hips 40.5". After reviewing the finished measurements, it became clear that I needed to grade the pattern across multiple sizes. I was fairly certain about starting with a size 4 for the bust, but I wasn’t sure whether to jump straight to a size 8 at the waist and a size 10 below. Erica from the Advisor’s Circle offered invaluable advice that I’ll keep in mind moving forward. She suggested holding the finished waist measurement of size 6 and the hip measurement of size 8 against my body to assess the ease. This was a game-changer—realizing that a size 6 waist and size 8 hips provided ample room saved me from having to create multiple muslins. Instead, I graded out the pattern from size 4 to 6 at the waist and from 6 to 8 toward the hips, which felt much more accurate than relying solely on my measurements.
Customizations
Once the sizing was sorted, the modifications I made were relatively straightforward:
- I lowered the darts by 1 inch and shortened them by 1.5 inches.
- I adjusted the back for a rounded shape by 5/8 inch.
- I incorporated a forward shoulder adjustment of 5/8 inch, following a tutorial shared by Lyndsey in her blog post about her version of the dress.
- I also made a swayback adjustment by removing fabric from my waist area.
- Finally, I reduced the sleeve length by 9 inches to achieve the shorter sleeves seen here.
Sewing the dress was a breeze. This mid-weight linen, purchased several years ago from H.P. Singh in Nehru Place, Delhi, has a crisp texture that softens beautifully over time. Linen tends to shift during sewing, so pins were my best friends throughout the process. One final note: I didn’t bother with buttonholes on the placket. While on vacation, I used a vintage seventy-year-old machine to sew this dress. I lacked the confidence to attempt hand-sewn buttonholes, so for now, press buttons will suffice until I can use my regular machine to add proper ones.
Wearing It
Initially, I assumed I'd need to add thread loops to the sides of the waist to accommodate the belt since I dislike belts riding high on my waist. Surprisingly, I discovered that I actually prefer wearing the dress without the belt. I initially worried it might look too much like a nightgown, but so far, I’ve found it works well as a casual summer piece. I’m excited to pair it with tights, a full-sleeve turtleneck, and maybe boots once the weather turns cooler.
In conclusion, there are dresses, and then there’s that one dress you can’t wait to wear. I think I may have stumbled upon mine!
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