Reversible Simple Sew Cocoon Dress

Simple Sew Pattern provided by Simple Sew and fabric provided free of charge from Minerva Crafts in return for honest blog post.

I chose this Robert Kaufman Brussels washer yarn dyed linen from Minerva crafts in chambray as I felt it would be a versatile addition to my spring/summer wardrobe.  It is 55% linen and 45% rayon. Linen blends are possibly one of my favourite fabrics to work with. You get all of the benefits of linen, but having a rayon mixed in the fibre results in a garment that is less prone to creasing.

It partners perfectly with the Simple Sew Cocoon dress as it is a good medium weight and the linen content holds the cocoon shape to the dress nicely.  It has washed well and was very easy to cut as it is not shifty. It does fray easily, so you may want to overlock the cut edge before putting it in for its pre-wash.  

The combination of this pattern and fabric is extremely beginner friendly due to there being so few pattern pieces, little to no fitting, and no closures such as buttons and zips.

I have recently seen some linen dresses on Pinterest that I liked, and I felt the cocoon dress would provide me the bones to easily recreate the style. After measuring the pattern pieces, I realised that the front and back pieces are the same width, (and there are no darts) so I could create a reversible garment.

I lowered the (original) back neckline so that it could be worn as the front.  I like the slash neck style so I straightened and widened the curved neckline and made it sit at around collar bone height.  I also lowered and widened the V slightly to give a more relaxed look whether it is worn as the front or the back. 

Once I had cut the dress I had a small amount of fabric left so I decided to make some very long waist ties that attach at the side seams. Each tie comes in at a whopping 130cm long! I attached them into the side seams at my natural waistline.

I wanted to be able to wrap the ties around my waist to give the illusion of a belt. My favourite styling is to cross them at the front first, then around my back, and finally back around to the front tied into a knot.

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With the final scraps that were left over, I made a cuff to finish the sleeve edges.  This is a simple modification, but I think it gives a nice finish.

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I am really happy with the way this dress has turned out. I feel like the relatively small hacks I made have really changed the look of this versatile pattern.