Today I’m sharing with you one of my recent makes for Threads of a Fairytale; a bohemian fairy dress with a tropical leaf print….
If you saw a video made a couple of years ago of a massive fabric haul, you might have spotted a purple cheese plant print crepe amongst it all. And it was this material that sparked off this dress, which actually turned into a mini collection of matching clothing!
I knew I had a green cotton tunic amongst my Indian clothing stash, with a tropical leaf print on it as well, so I thought I would combine the two. At first I was a little unsure about mixing the two prints, but as someone pointed out to me recently; it’s a very vintage Laura Ashley thing to do, so I’m perfectly fine with it!
I’m sorry, I forgot to take a photo of the green tunic before I go stuck in the with scissors, but you can see here the basic shape and can get a good idea as to how it looked. Actually – you can watch the whole process in the video below if you like!
Tropical print fashion
For the last couple of years I’ve noticed tropical leaf prints appearing on clothing in the shops, and this summer hasn’t been any different, so I thought I’d hop onto the fashion trend, and use the fabric now. The purple print crepe has a gorgeous flow to it, and is heavier than expected and very good quality. I really enjoyed sewing with it actually. Once I had put together the basic shape of the dress, I concentrated on the details and embellishments of the neckline and top half.
If I leave the trimming of the threads to the end of a dress, it usually takes half an hour, so this time I tried to snip them off as I went! This is the problem with my kind of freehand sewing – you do use a lot of thread!
There are no fastenings to this dress, so to allow a bit more room for taking it on and off, I added in a panel of stretch cotton jersey. And to bring the dress in at the waist for a more flattering shape, I made a long sash to tie in a bow. I made it a bit too long actually, so you could either cross over at the back and tie at the front, or arrange the bow at the back for the long ends to trail on the floor behind you if you wish!
When I began making this fairy dress, I’d intended it to be a big ball gown; however sometimes (very occasionally) less is more, and I liked the way the dress looked without adding too much to it. I had a khaki green silk chiffon scarf that matched the green cotton leaf print; and it had a diagonal stripe in purple to match the purple leaf print, so this made the ideal fabric to link the two together. Apart from that, I didn’t add any more fabric. Although, right at the end I decided to add a patch pocket on the front, as a pocket is always useful for keeping your fairy dust in!
How to style a bohemian fairy dress
I think this is one of my more versatile dresses actually. Although it isn’t one of my extravagant luxury fairy ball gowns, I think it could certainly be dressed up for such an occasion. Add pink satin ballet shoes or fancy heels; some pretty jewellery and a tiara and you will stand out in the crowd in an original unique dress that twirls out beautifully when you’re dancing! However, as the fabric isn’t too lavish, I think this could be a really nice dress for a more everyday occasion such as a party or going out to dinner. And really make it casual by wearing a plain green, pink, purple or black jumper over the top so the neckline details are hidden; and wear with trainers.
Here are a couple of photos of the finished dress with my daughter, R modelling it for me. If you’d like to see more photos or are interested in purchasing the dress, please have a look at my Threads of a Fairytale Etsy shop.
If you would like to watch the whole making process of this bohemian fairy dress, then please have a watch of my youtube video:
