Axis Dress by Tamika

July 05, 2021
Posted by de Linum

Axis Dress

Okay, so… perhaps not the most seasonally appropriate dress to be making as the cooler weather rolls in but when the opportunity presents itself you take it!

With de Linum now stocking the Papercut Patterns range, I couldn’t go past the Axis Dress. It has been on my radar for a while now so, while there were so many beautiful patterns to choose from, I think the choice was obvious.

Axis Linen Dress Pattern

The dress is a semi-fitted or A-line style with a unique wrap or tie back that forms a waist tie at the front. The high square neck is a total classic and I love this split detail at the front of the pencil skirt. The pattern also comes with the option of making just the skirt. I made the fitted version of the dress and graded between sizes (but more on that later…)

This was the first time I’ve used a printed Indie Pattern and, let me tell you, it was sooo nice not having to stick pages and pages of a PDF together before even getting started! Don’t get me wrong, I find great calm in monotonous tasks like that and have no problem doing them, but to be able to just jump into a project headfirst is so great!

Next step was choosing the fabric, which was a much more difficult decision! Do I go with a gorgeous stripe? Perhaps a bright yellow or mint green shades? So many beautiful fabrics and colours to choose from! I ended up settling on this beautiful Wine Linen Cotton Blend - a deep brown toned red. When it arrived, I knew I’d made the right choice! It was a perfect weight and the slightly crisp drape was exactly what I was looking for.

Linen and linen blends are some of my favourite fabrics to work with! They behave just how you want them to - no slipping and sliding all over the place - and move so easily through the machine. For that reason, this dress was an absolute breeze to make. (Note: it is an intermediate level pattern, and I have been sewing for several years now. Don’t let that stop you, though - the only way you learn is to push yourself and try new things!)

But, not every make goes to plan…

I graded between sizes which might have been a mistake. I also didn’t toile, so perhaps mistake number two…

For reference, Papercut sizing is numbered 1 through 8 with a max. Bust 46.5”, Waist 38.6”, Hip 48.8”. (It is my understanding they are currently working on expanding this through to a size 13 with Bust 58.3”, Waist 51.6”, Hip 61.1”.)

My measurements are currently: Bust 33.5”, Waist 27”, Hip 38” which put me in a size 2-3 at the bust, 3 at the waist and 3-4 at the hips. Made up, the bust was a perfect fit but the waist and hips were way to big! I’m not sure what happened but I ended up taking about an inch out of the back seam of the skirt portion. It still doesn’t fit quite right and may have been better if I spread the excess fabric between side seam and darts as well but it does the job! It also gave me the opportunity to fix the invisible zip that I hadn’t quite gotten right the first time around!

I will definitely look at grading differently next time because the waist on the bodice portion is also too big but a little less fixable without pulling it apart and starting over. I actually don’t mind the look of having it a bit loose on the back but there’s definitely room for improvement!

Overall, while I need to work on sizing for this pattern, I really like the style of the dress, and the fabric was an absolute dream to work with and wear. I’ve also loved playing with pairing other layers for the cooler weather and look forward to bringing it out in the Summer too! The Axis Dress and Wine Linen Cotton Blend from de Linum are an absolute match made in heaven!