I've always loved a pattern mix but it was this dress that inspired me, a few years ago now, to start dressmaking using a mix-and-clash of printed textiles.
The dress is the "Iloinen Takki" dress by Marimekko. Much as I admire a pocket, I love the pockets far more for their scattered pops of colour and shape than their pockety-ness.
I much prefer the child's version of the dress to the adult's. Partly because of the proportion of the pockets against the dress, but also because I'm no fan of cuteness in adult clothing and I find this a tad twee for my liking.
This was the outcome of my first textile mash-up and still remains one of my favourites of my children's dresses. There was very little of that grey leaf-print 1950s' fabric I used for the border as it was once a curtain that someone had used as a dust sheet for decorating and most of it was covered in white paint.
If you look closely you can see a couple of pockets too – their exact positioning was the subject of much deliberation at the time!
I used a simple 1960s' pinafore pattern with facings and a back zip which I have made so many times since I'm sure could do it blindfolded! (Just as well, as the old pattern has been used so often it is now as flimsy as a cobweb.)
This was a very versatile garment – it could be worn over tights and a long-sleeved top in colder weather and as a sundress in the summer. The A-line shape made it easy to run and climb in and the simple silhouette lent itself to any weight of fabric.
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