Start your sewing adventure with us.    Join Seamwork

Articles on this site were all published prior to 2017 and this site is no longer updated. Please visit our current Articles, Patterns, and Classes for the most up-to-date content and products.

Palette Challenge Week 8: An embroidered hazel

I love this dress, but first I want to tell you why I look rather disheveled in these pictures I took yesterday.

On the way to work, we came across a lost cat. He’s a young, playful cat who lives on our block and had wandered very far from home, probably following someone who’d petted him judging by how affectionate and sweet he is. Anyway, while we were figuring out where he lived and what to do with him, we got caught in the rain without umbrellas, so my hair and makeup are a bit messy.

But who cares? The cat got home safely! The poor thing was so desperate and anxious, I’m really happy that we found him and knew where he belonged.

But back to this dress. I finally was able to use the gorgeous embroidered border fabric I’d bought in Buenos Aires! I’d had plans to make it into a hazel from the moment I bought it, and I’m quite pleased with the way it turned out.

It has a wee bit of a Downton Abbey vibe, don’t you think?

I think I will do a separate post on using eyelets and bordered fabrics for this pattern, because I figured out a few tricks while putting this together.

I have one more hazel dress planned for the challenge. I love how quick and easy this pattern is. I can’t wait to wear this one on a picnic with a big straw hat.

Sarai Mitnick

Founder

Sarai started Colette back in 2009. She believes the primary role of a business should be to help people. She loves good books, sewing with wool, her charming cats, working in her garden, and eating salsa.

Comments

Marie

June 8, 2012 #

Wow wee! Your Hazel is simply breathtaking…I’d love to hear your tips as I have a border fabric in mind for one of my versions! Also, you look stunning and not a bit dishevelled…the kitty got lucky you found him!

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

You’re right, I look fine, I just had a couple cowlicks in my hair from the rain and wind. :) I just felt disheveled all day because I’d gotten so soaked earlier.

Daughter Fish

June 8, 2012 #

This is beautiful! And you get bonus points for saving the kitty:) I would love to see a post on using eyelets!

Caroline

June 8, 2012 #

Gorgeous dress!

Inna

June 8, 2012 #

It could be easily a wedding dress! Love it!

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Caitlin said something similar, that the fabric would make a beautiful wedding dress. I agree, it would be really lovely.

Abi

June 8, 2012 #

Wow! I absolutely love how it turned out – I might have to go back and see if they’ve got any of the fabric left for me!
Abi x

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

You should! I think they had white too?

Abi

June 8, 2012 #

I must go and check on Saturday. Exciting! Though it’s rather too cold here for summer dresses now… perhaps a version with sleeves using the border on the sleeve too. I do love border fabrics.

Bold Sewist

June 8, 2012 #

This is so pretty!

Rochelle New

June 8, 2012 #

Sarai, it’s GORGEOUS!! I’m so into embroidery lately, (I just learned how) so I am extra inspired by this dress!!

and I’m happy to hear the little kitty made it home safe :)

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Do you do hand embroidery? I think some hand embroidery could be so amazing on this dress, since you could use it to emphasize the edges and seams, or the triangular shape on the bodice.

Rochelle New

June 8, 2012 #

Yes! Hand embroidery. I only know two stitches, but two has been enough to get me started. I definitely plan to embroider a bit on my Hazel :) We’ll see how it turns out…

Amie

June 8, 2012 #

It is amazing how versatile Hazel is! I think I might just have to commit and buy the pattern.

jadestar

June 8, 2012 #

I love this dress! I think this is my favourite hazel dress so far. And the fit is great.
Glad you found the kitties home. I have a huge soft spot in my heart for cats…

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

We are all cat lovers here at CP. I almost typed out the whole long-winded version of this story and told you all about the cat (and how he literally tried to leap into my arms) before remembering that not everyone is cat crazy and wants to hear every detail about mr. lost kitty.

Lisa

June 8, 2012 #

What a beautiful dress, it almost looks Vintage.

Elle

June 8, 2012 #

This is so beautiful! Like someone else mentioned, it could be a lovely wedding or summer dress. I simply adore this :)

leah

June 8, 2012 #

Gorgeous choice of fabric & I love your hair!

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Seeing it in pictures now it has sort of an Amelie look I guess. It was just rather windblown. :)

bird

June 8, 2012 #

That is a beautiful dress, great job and a great idea!

Lauren

June 8, 2012 #

Your Hazel looks gorgeous! I love that fabric, and all the texture it has. I can’t wait to make mine up after I finish some deadline-projects… I have ideas.

I’m glad you got that kitty safely home. Poor kitty! I’ve had my cat wander away before – for an entire week – and it was awful.

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Ugh, I can’t imagine how upsetting that would be. This kitty really should have a collar, because he is too adventurous for his own good. We found him almost half a mile from his home!

We weren’t even sure where he lived and were about to take him to the vet to get scanned for a microchip, but when we brought him to the house we thought he might live in, he ran right inside through the cat flap.

Cindy

June 8, 2012 #

Gorgeous dress! And so happy you reunited the kitty with their people. This makes me want to book at trip just to find this fabric!

Ginger

June 8, 2012 #

Wow, this is lovely! That fabric is perfect! Great job, miss! And I’m so glad you were able to help the cat find his way home!

Tasha

June 8, 2012 #

That is just gorgeous! Kind of a creamy, lacy dreamy dress. I love the neckline, too.

9And glad the kitty got home safe.)

Melissa

June 8, 2012 #

Definitely has a Downtown Abbey feel! Beautiful job!

Shannon

June 8, 2012 #

I love this! This is definitely my favorite new pattern this season and I love your fabric choice. I’m a sucker for embroidery and this gives this dress a lovely antique feel.

Nina

June 8, 2012 #

Oh, I’m so glad you took responsibility for that cat! What beautiful fabric – my grandmother keeps telling me about all these embroidered sheets that she has packed away somewhere, and I hadn’t thought of using them for clothing until now…

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Caitlin also pointed out that this fabric would make beautiful pillow cases. Wish I had enough of it for that! I might have to find another pretty eyelet for that now that she gave me the idea.

Femke

June 8, 2012 #

Really loving this Hazel version! I’m at the moment cutting out the pattern and ironing my muslin fabric to start on my own Hazel version. :)

Emily

June 8, 2012 #

What a perfect summer dress!

oonaballoona

June 8, 2012 #

actually i think you look quite romantic with your windswept hair :)

Tasha @ Stale Bread into French Toast

June 8, 2012 #

I love how this came out! Boarder lace/prints, not just for hems anymore . . . hmm! Really lovely version of the dress. :)

Francesca

June 8, 2012 #

You look great, very Amelie – I like the hair looking slightly windblown. And the dress is absolutely perfect. I for one would have loved to hear how kitty leapt into your arms – have three rescue cats:).

I will be waiting anxiously for any tips on making Hazel with eyelet – I have some lovely vintage black border eyelet that I have been sitting on for ages which is now going to be a Hazel so any tips will be super welcome!

On another note – I have gorgeous old eyelet pillowcases which I never used until I cut them up to decorate the side flaps of plain ones – because when I slept on them I woke up with my face looking bumpy! Texture on pillowcases = bumpy skin….. make side flanges, flanges all the way round, but don’t make whole pillowcases out of the fabric or you will look pcokmarked when yu wake up!

Michelle

June 8, 2012 #

THANK GOODNESS I ALREADY OWN THIS PATTERN!! Because, if I didn’t, I would force my husband to drive me to this store in Oakland who stocks your patterns. While the store is less than 10 miles away, it would take AT LEAST a half an hour to get there in bay area traffic. Luckily I purchased the pattern for the sew along.

I just finished my muslin for the Hazel dress. I was worried that it wouldn’t look very good on me, but it looks really nice! I am contemplating adding a peter pan collar to the front and some lace insets at the hem (using one of your tutorials, of course :P)

Thanks for designing ANOTHER fabulous dress pattern!

Megan

June 8, 2012 #

So lovely!

Leah

June 8, 2012 #

This is so stunning, it’s Downton Abbey meets Heidi of the Swiss Alps and I love it!

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

Perfect description!

Burke

June 8, 2012 #

Gorgeous!!

Roisin

June 8, 2012 #

So pretty! I bought some white broderie anglaise at the weekend to make a Hazel dress with and this gorgeous version has spurred me on… if only our gruesome weather would cheer up so I could have somewhere to wear it!

Sarai

June 8, 2012 #

I hear you. I have three new white or ivory dresses and have barely worn any of them because it’s still raining and cold every day.

Lisa S.

June 8, 2012 #

such stunning fabric!

Meg

June 8, 2012 #

Positively stunning!!

liza jane

June 8, 2012 #

Beautiful!

Maddie Flanigan

June 8, 2012 #

You look fabulous! I love anything lace or eyelet so it is no surprise this appeals to me.

So great that you rescued the cat. And your hair does not look messed up at all!

Sarah

June 8, 2012 #

SO PRETTY!!! What a gorgeous Hazel dress!! <3 Talk about the perfect inspiration for the sew-along!

Nicole

June 9, 2012 #

You look lovely, I love a delicate dress like this with a bit of a messy ‘do better anyway. I’m totally in love with this version of the hazel, it actually looks like its a vintage frock.

Kimberly

June 9, 2012 #

very pretty!

Mia

June 9, 2012 #

Beautiful, delicate, romantic dress. Love the natural color and the tone on tone embroidery.

Connor

June 11, 2012 #

Hi There

I am wanting to make some of your patterns and am looking at purchasing a dressmakers dummy – a siger branded one. It adjusts in 12 different places and suitable for sizes 10-16. Can you adjust these dummies to suit your body measurements otr only in size incraments?

Help please

Clarissa

June 12, 2012 #

That is one beautiful dress!

Lenora Jane

June 13, 2012 #

I’ve been waiting for a good venue for this embroidered tablecloth that I wanted to salvage, and this pattern seemed like a good call, since it’d take the border embroidery well and as a sundress be accepting of the white background cloth–looking at this has confirmed that suspicion. Thanks!

amy

June 6, 2013 #

Oh my goodness! I want a wedding so I can make a bodice like this! Total dress envy. x