Fall is that great transition time where you can’t decide whether to wear short sleeves or a scarf!  Maybe it’s my age but I find that even though the mornings and evenings are cool-ish, the day times are HOT.  The best way of dressing that works for me, in this case, is layers such as short sleeve items with a cardigan.

A couple sewing friends led me to the Pia dress found on the Tessuti website (Australia)  It is a simple shift dress with interesting pocket details. Here is the description from the Tessuti website.

“The Pia Dress is a pull-on dress designed with extended shoulder sleeves and exaggerated pockets. The comfortable, flattering style is shaped without being fitted, and features a wide flared skirt allowing it to be worn loose or belted. The Pia Dress is a simple, classic design suitable for all body shapes.”

As with most online patterns, you have the option of buying the hard copy (but it is shipped from Australia) or printing the pattern yourself.  Tessuti even has the option of sending the file to a print shop which saves having to tape together numerous 8″x11″ sheets of paper all over the living room floor!

This is a quick and easy pattern to sew together.  Well written instructions with lots of photographs to help with the construction.  And I have received many compliments on the dress when wearing it so that’s a plus!

Couple things to point out though, I had the make the XL which is the largest size available for this design.

The other thing to point out is that one of the suggested fabrics is cotton but they only give yardage requirements in 54″ or 140cm wide fabrics.  Sometimes the garment design dictates the wider width (extremely full skirt or a one piece bodice and sleeve etc) but this dress is not one of these instances.  So yes, a 45″ or 115cm wide cotton fabric will work, just make sure you get enough! (For the XL, you will need at least 2.5m of 45″ or 115cm wide fabric.  If you choose to make your bias tape out of the same fabric, you will need 2.75m)

Vilene is not a product I have come across here in Canada but it is simply a tear-away stabilizer.  If you are confident that your neckline and armholes are not going to stretch out, you can skip this step.  (which I did)

This is the dress straight out the package.  It is the correct length according the the Tessuti picture but for myself, I will shorten it by about 2″ to just below my knee.  I feel it is cutting me off at the widest part of my calf which is never a good thing.  No one wants to look wider even though it may only be an illusion!

If you are in town and want to try this dress on for size, come by the store and try on the display dress.  Same everything (no adjustments) except out of a cotton linen blend.

Yes, it is so easy to make, I made 2!