Once again, I couldn’t resist a nice fabric print that looks like it belongs on a piece of furniture. This time, it was a piece of designer deadstock 80% nylon/20% spandex tricot from designer Jude Connally. The designer calls the fabric “Jude Cloth” and describes it as “stretchy, comfortable, and low-maintenance fabric that moves with the body and delivers statement-making color, print, and style,” noting that it doesn’t wrinkle and has a “smooth and sleek feel.” It is 190GSM with 50% horizontal and 50% vertical stretch. It is basically bathing suit fabric. But this print is navy and periwinkle hexagons on an ivory background and I believe the designer used it to make shirt dresses, not swimwear.

After much pondering of what this fabric wants to be, I decided to use the Sinclair Valley Skater Dress pattern (one of my favorites!) with the full-circle skirt from the add-on pack for extra twirlability. This fabric is drapey but also has enough structure that the full-circle skirt results in a nice fit-and-flare shape.  I cut size 6p, above knee length plus one inch and added broad and sloped shoulder adjustments, a low screwp neckline, and extended the top length since I omitted the waistband. I also modified the pockets not to attach to the waist seam (and thus, not pull down the waist).

I cut the skirt as two half-circles since the fabric was wide enough to do that. After the fact, I realized I could have done some print matching on the side seams, but I didn’t think of that until I had already cut it. I did cut the sleeves so their hems align, and I spent a lot of time obsessing over how to cut the neckband (I eventually settled on cutting it so that no blue hexagons would be visible on the neckband. I cover-stitched the bottom hem, sleeve hems, and neckband with ivory thread. I debated not bothering with the hem, as this fabric is not going to unravel, but I decided keeping it unhemmed might make it look a little less finished.

This is my second hexagon dress, and this one is bolder than the last one. It is visually a lot, but in a good way I think, and it is super comfortable to wear and fits great!