I may have peaked with this one and I’m OK with that. Our new Lawrence Top and Dress is a showstopper in pretty much any fabric, but this rainbow linen takes the cake. I’m so happy I decided to go for the full length with the ruffle shoulders! It’s so over the top and I love it.
In case you missed it, I chronicled the making of this Lawrence over on Instagram Reels this week. Check out that series of videos if you want to see more of the process! I documented my time spent and this project took me about 5 ½ hours to complete. That includes the fabric cutting but not the pattern prep.
The hardest part about sewing with this fabric is just deciding how to place the rainbow stripes! I went with the darker orange shades for the upper bodice and shoulders and the lighter shades at the waist. I think this looks really great when belted. I ended up with a little orange stripe at the top of the second tier and I’m on the fence about it. What do you think? Is it a nice design detail or is it distracting? Either way, I’m probably not going to change it at this point so I’ll just be embracing it.
As I mentioned, this is the longer view (B) with the ruffle shoulders. We have a blog post that outlines how to make the alternative views of Lawrence. I love this dress without the ruffles but man-oh-man, Does this fabric love a good ruffle or gather. I just love the way the sleeves flutter over the shoulder - *chefs kiss*!
Lawrence looks great belted or not belted, and I honestly love it both ways. Belted really takes this to a princess-dress level for me, but un-belted is just sooooo comfortable. I feel instantly relaxed when I wear this view of Lawrence and that is such a superpower. Any garment that can go from house dress to date night with the addition of some shoes and jewelry has my vote!
I can’t say enough good things about this fabric (from Blackbird Fabrics). Believe the hype! It’s woven from all these different bright colours and it is really soft right off the bolt. Once washed it is like butter. The iridescent quality is unreal and I just feel amazing when I’m wearing this dress!
