Sewing resolutions: Bold, Modern Beauty: The Antalya Dress in Avantgarde + GIVEAWAY

My 36-year-old self (there you have it, my age) has been making New Years Resolutions for as long as I can remember--and usually it's the common things we all care about: health, weight, relationship. Last year I added a new Resolutions to my list: Sewing!

Yes I already know how to SEW--as you've seen--I sew a ton, but there are often new elements to explore. Last year I tackled the oh-so-scary KNITS-which have become some of my favorite fabric to sew with, especially for the little man who still likes to crawl and scoot about the floor. This year, I want to explore and find my voice with Modern Patterns and Prints. As Hobbes grows up, her style is changing and I want to make sure that I don't limit her prints and pattern vocabulary based on my previous taste. So welcome to my first of many sews in the series I am calling: Bold, Modern Beauty. This time sewing The Antalya Dress by Coffee and Threads with Katarina Roccella's Avantgarde Collection from Art Gallery Fabrics.

First, I have to say that this is one of my most visually stimulating works to date. I haven't moved the dress into Hobbes' closet yet because I just like to stare at it in my sewing room. The kinship between the Antalya Pattern and fabric prints is spot on; almost like it was written for it. But the truth is, I have had my eye on the Avantgarde collection since its debut earlier this year. The architecture, the color scheme and its vibrancy just drew me in--there was something very familiar in these prints (a new perspective as I sit to write this in my living room and often staring at the wall: I am discovering that our big modern original painting that takes up 3/4th of the space on our wall can be viewed as a complement to these prints, or the other way around.) It wasn't till the Coffee & Threads, Antalya dress popped up in my Facebook feed that I jumped on the opportunity to sew with the collection.

The Antalya dress, with its sophisticated modern flare, is constructed with Dolman-Style sleeves and a single center bodice piece that elongates into a semi-gathered skirt. It's surprisingly a very simple pattern to construct, consisting of 4 pattern pieces/measurements, neck binding and "choose your own adventure" closure with either a zipper or buttons. I actually found myself intimidated by its simplicity and kept looking for more things to add. 90 minutes later, I perfectly finished my first modern sew. 

I chose to finish the dress with a fold over bias tape and an exposed zipper to close. If you want to know more about how to add these fun outerwear zippies, check out my post from last year on exposed zipper here. I think the next time I remake this dress, I may buy one of those 30 inch long zippers and open the dress completely in the back. How is that for a modern edge?

Hobbes and I are thrilled 'we' challenged ourselves!

Now, what about you? Are you ready to join me in sewing Bold, Modern Beauty? Below is your chance to WIN a copy of Coffee & Threads Antalya Dress + 2 yards of Art Gallery Fabrics from the Avantgarde collection. Enter the rafflecopter below and join my Facebook page Baby Hobbes Design on Tuesday, March 2nd when I announce the winner. 

If you want to get your hands on some of this and other amazing Art Gallery Fabrics, check out Punkin Head Threads on Facebook for fabric options here.

Good Luck and Happy Sewing!!!
xoxo
Merav @ Baby Hobbes Design 

a Rafflecopter giveaway