design for shabby apple – paper bag dress!

Have you noticed I got through phases. Bows. Headbands. Skirts. It’s a cycle. And if you didn’t already notice, I’m so in love with the paper bag skirt right now. I am so silly about things. They are just so comfy and carefree. But I wanted one of them to be a dress. So here it is, the paper bag dress. A blouse and skirt attached at the hip. Get it! Hah, more like waist, but still. 

This dress has an invisible zipper in the back and a super cute square buttoned yoke on the front. The yoke has workable vintage buttons that add a little charm. Short sleeves for the renewed sunshine and a nice gathered waist. This paper bag skirt is not pleated, but rather gathered for a soft ruffled effect. 

This dress was inspired by the outfit I wore in the last post I posted, the photoshoot for paper bag skirt no. 2. I’ve been making paper bag skirts all month (for the pleat weeks!) and wore one with a lace top during this photoshoot. It was love at first sight. I knew it had to be a dress. And it felt a little ‘Shabby Apple’ to me. So off I went. To buy lace. And the linen just fell in my cart. Linen + lace are like aesthetic magnets, they look so good together. My original plan was a lightweight tweed or something, but the colors and textures just didn’t mesh well. Plus, who wants tweed in the spring? So grey pinstriped linen it was. I designed the pattern based on that blouse, except I added an invisible zipper so everything could be all fitted and stay in place. So I guess what I’m saying is, inspiration sometimes just builds. I didn’t knock off any dress to get this one, it just was a build up of inspiration. I think the best ideas are ones that keep expanding. A little insight into my creative process. 

And that is enough pictures of me for today! I hope you like my new dress! :)