I have been excitedly waiting to share this make you all for quite some time! Back in the spring, I pattern tested this dress for
Emily from In The Folds. The test went well, and she decided to take some time to update her website, add illustrated pattern instructions, and get professional photos before launching. It all looks SO good.
She just released the Acton last week and I can’t wait to show you my version of this amazing pattern.
Emily is based in Australia, and for you southern hemisphere makers, this dress is such a great pattern for warmer weather. I wore mine a lot this past summer! I have also continued to get use out of it in the cooler months with a cardigan and leggings.
The Acton has two views, one with a faux-wrap front design that is unique and super pretty. I went for the sans-wrap version, but I would really like to try the wrap one next time. Please note that I was forced to add a center seam to the skirt of my Acton due to a cutting error; there is no center front seam on the actual skirt portion of the pattern . I also went rogue and cut my bodice pieces on the bias to achieve this chevron effect. I think this pattern is so perfect for a chevron look, and I love the way this turned out in the front and back.
There are two back options for the Acton. I made the back of view B with the view A front. I like the high back style. Another one of my favourite things about this pattern is the high neck and the way it shows off the shoulders. This is my favourite cut of dress and for a broad shouldered girl like me, I think it is very flattering. The dress is quite flattering overall, in fact, I think the cut has a very slimming effect. The pattern also has inseam pockets, which is an obvious win!
The fabric I used here is a woven cotton I picked up at an Our Social Fabric sale. I used it once before for my maxi Nita Wrap Skirt and I just love the woven details. I have officially used all 7 meters of this (which I got for $2 by the way), so consider this piece of fabric recycled!
Special thanks to Laurie Best for taking these awesome photos for me. We spent quite a long time trying to find the right light, and I think they turned out great because of it. Thanks for persevering with me, Laurie!
I definitely plan on making the Acton again, hopefully soon! I can’t wait to see more versions of if :) Congrats to Emily from In The Folds on releasing another amazing dress pattern.
