SEWN! September 21, 2021: The Apple Dress… this is quintessential teacher garb! Started this dress in fall of 2020, finished in fall 2021, and now blogging about it in fall 2022. While I originally took some photos in my natural habitat, the lighting in my classroom is terrible, so I took a few new pics as well.


*peep the perfectly coordinating earrings 🍎 🍎 i live that matchy matchy life


Pattern: Deer & Doe Aubépine Dress - View B 

Sizing / Fit Adjustments:

My measurements: 5'11" tall, 35 b, 29 w, 43 h

- Cut a size 38 bust, to a 40 waist
- Added 1 1/2" length to  lower edge of bodice
- Added 3-4" length to skirt

Deer & Doe patterns are drafted for a 5'5" height. I wanted to ensure the waistline hit at a flattering point on my body (between empire and natural waist). I also added length in the skirt b/c I had the extra fabric, and it is more comfortable to wear at school. However, I think the original length would have also been really cute!



Fabric: Pink and red apples on navy rayon print from Vogue Fabrics (from stash :) It is not fully opaque, so I definitely wanted to line it.

Lining: Rayon bemberg in navy

My favorite part of this design are the tucks on the sleeves and bodice! I used a new-to-me 1/4" presser foot to sew them. While the fabric is slippery, it was definitely easier than eyeballing it! Afterwards I wanted to pin tuck ALL THE THINGS!

I also love the bow tie at the waist! I chose grosgrain ribbon in navy, after much deliberation on color.



And here are a couple of the original pics in my elementary music classroom... 



It is surreal to look back at the pictures from the beginning of last year and think about how stressful it was teaching in Covid. You wouldn't know it from these pics, but this was the start of the most difficult year of my entire teaching career (14 years and counting). Even a year later, I am still working towards getting back to feeling like myself and enjoying what I do, but the burnout is real. Learning to take it one day at a time and not expect it to be magically better overnight. Even the most joy-filled job in the world can be hard sometimes, and that's okay! Alright - mini therapy blog session over ;) 


tl;dr love the tucks on the bodice / sleeves of this dress in a navy apple print! added length b/c tall. original photos from '21 school year: hardest ever. new photos from '22 school year: getting better :)

❤ Sally