Kate Vintage Tea Dress Combo | Designer Stitch

I couldn’t wait to share with you all my latest Designer Stitch pattern test!  This Kate Vintage Tea Dress Combo pattern is Uh-Mazing! Seriously, the possibilities are endless.

Ann from Designer Stitch does it again.  I couldn’t raise my hand high enough when the pattern test call was put out.  If you’re new to my blog,  I LOVE pattern testing for Designer Stitch.  You can check out my other Designer Stitch pattern tests here, here, and here.  (You get the point). The Kate Vintage Tea Dress Combo is so classic and chic, I just knew I had to make it.  Then, she made the pattern a combo and added more options! You can choose to make the dress with either a box gathered skirt or a 3/4 circle skirt.  You also have the option of making it as a top and skirt.  The pattern also comes with skirt length options of tea or knee length and a tie belt.  Initially, I was all about the dress, but when she added skirt options I decided to go with top and box gathered skirt.

Based on my body measurements I made a size 6 with a B cup and I graded to a size 9 for the waist of the bodice.   I traced my bodice pattern piece since I needed to make pattern adjustments.  During my tracing and making alterations to the pattern, I mistakenly made the front about a 1/2″ shorter than the back.  I didn’t realize my mistake until I had completed my top.  Ann taught me that I can line up my front and back pattern pieces at the side seams and check and see if they match! Well, I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.  I ended up just cutting the front to match the back and hemmed it.  Once I hemmed the top and tried it on with the skirt I thought the top length was fine.

For the skirt I cut a size 9 based on my waist measurements and made the longer tea length option.  I purchased this amazing Ankara African print fabric from LeeLou Designs and you can find it here.  It’s from her Botanical Gardens Series and comes in other amazing colors. I purchased this gorgeous fabric in yellow also.

I love everything about the Kate Vintage Tea Dress Combo and felt absolutely beautiful in my top and gathered skirt.  This pattern is more for the advance beginner/intermediate sewist because of the invisible zipper and the all in one turned facings.  Can I talk about the all in one turned facing for a minute? The all in one turned facings is my favorite part of the construction of the bodice.  The instructions are super easy to follow and leaves you with a perfect bodice.  All of the instructions are perfectly detailed and did I mention the skirt has pockets?!  I mean, who doesn’t want pockets in their skirt or dress?!

The classy Kate Vintage Tea Dress Combo was just released today and as with all of the Designer Stitch pattern releases, it’s on sale!  You can pick yours up by following this link.

I want to give thanks to my amazing sew sister Marica for the fabulous photos.  It was so hard to pick which ones to include in my post. Follow her on Instagram at overdriveafter30.  Not only is she nice behind the camera but she can sew a pretty mean stitch too.

What do you think of my Kate Vintage Top and Box Gathered Skirt? Let me know in the comments below.  Thanks for stopping by.  Until next time!

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