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Jaime's Festive Farrows

I recently went on a Farrow sewing spree with the goal of making the perfect holiday dress - it took a couple of tries, but guys... I nailed it!

Jaime in her black draped Farrow in front of a white distressed wall

Black Farrow

Pattern: Farrow Dress by Grainline Studio 
Fabric: Black Crepe Rayon
Size Made: 4
Modifications: None

Jamie in her black crepe rayon Farrow from the waist down

I don't know why I thought a really flowy, drapey black dress was a good choice for the holidays, but here it is! Don't get me wrong - I love this dress and it will get a ton of wear. Somehow I did not previously own a plain black dress. I thought a flowy fabric would make it seem dressy enough for party season, but alas, its just a really nice black dress. Perfect for our Constellations booksigning party and I'm sure 1,000 other upcoming occasions. 

Close up of Jaime in her black Grainline Studio Farrow Dress

I made a sleeveless Farrow last Holiday season out of a beautiful, yet difficult to sew rayon batiste. This black rayon crepe proved every bit as challenging. It shifts a lot at every stage - cutting, marking, touching. It was practically impossible to get lines and notches to match up. I was scared while making this that it was going to look like a disaster, but it doesn't. As hard as this fabric is to sew, it's also forgiving. It drapes so nicely, you can't quite notice that the hem is uneven. Not to mention it's black so seam lines practically disappear. Overall this dress is the perfect basic black dress my wardrobe was missing. Once I finished, though, I realized it wasn't the right look for the holidays, so I made another one... 

Jaime in front of a white, clean wall in her Sparkle Farrow Dress

Sparkle Farrow

Pattern: Farrow Dress by Grainline Studio
Fabric: Metallic Yarn Dyed Essex in Sand
Size Made: 4
Modifications: none

Jaime showing off her sparkly metallic yarn dyed Essex dress in the sun

Sparkle-town! Now this is a holiday dress! After realizing my beautiful, new black Farrow wasn't a good holiday dress I decided to really just dive in and embrace the festive, sparkle of the season. I love sparkle as much as anyone, but it's not really my style for everyday. This fabric is the perfect balance - subtle and neutral, but with plenty of sparkly metallic! I love it. The best thing about this - it was a breeze to sew. The Farrow pattern is so easy and comes together so quickly when you use a nice sturdy cotton/linen blend fabric. The difference was incredible and gave me a much needed boost to my sewing confidence after the challenging rayon crepe. Another noticeable difference is with fit. This Farrow is a bit tight in the arms and I'm sure I could stand to make a size 6. This wasn't apparent in the other very drapey Farrows that I had made, but in this crisp fabric, it's too small. Luckily, not enough to prevent me from wearing it to all my holiday events, but I'll size up for my next Farrow. 

Detail of the lower half of Jaime's Sparkly Grainline Studio Farrow Dress

My friend gave me a heads up that the metallic thread in this fabric can be itchy to wear so I heeded her warning and used a soft raw silk for my facings at the cuff and neck. It works beautifully and there is no noticeable irritation when wearing it. 

Side view of Jaime's Sparkle Dress

These are now my 2nd and 3rd Farrow dresses. I really love the pattern. It's interesting with the sewn-in pocket construction and angled front and back seams and it is versatile sewn up in different fabrics. December Farrow Dress sewing for the win!

Jaime wearing her black Grainline Studio Farrow Dress and looking at the ground

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