Hey friends! For our summer vacation to Cape Cod, I made two outfits! The theme was summer blues. I made a blue plisse long sleeved maxi dress and a blue floral scuba knit tank dress.
I use the term vacation loosely, because it was a short and sweet weekend getaway, but during the week. Cape Cod is about 4.5 hours away from New York City and one of my fave places. If it’s on your destination list, I’ve listed a few itinerary suggestions at the end of this post!
Ocean Blue Plisse Long Sleeve Dress
Plisse fabric became trendy the past couple of years. When I spotted this one on Fabric.com back in May, I had to pick it up! I love this shade of blue! It was around the same time I found the Project Stitch Sacha Dress while browsing Instagram. Sometime in June we booked our trip, and I instantly knew this fabric and dress is the perfect pair!
I made a toile in a semi-stretchy tulle. I knew I needed a bit more to get it over my head properly while keeping the style of the dress. I highly recommend a toile (and trust me, I don’t do them), but there isn’t any other adjustment places if the dress doesn’t fit over your head! It’s quite close-fitting. This particular plisse may not be stretchy as normally used (more on that below in NOTES!).
NOTES:
-This pattern is in UK sizing. In my opinion, I find UK sizing to run a touch smaller than standard US sizing. I cut my usual size, a UK size 8, which is about a US size 4. I added 1/2″ to the center front and center back of the pattern.
-I made a pattern note to move the waistline up to 8″ from the 9 3/4″ it is on the pattern. I’m short waisted, so I usually have to shorten the waist length. I will say, in this fabric, the extra length in the waist doesn’t feel awkward and overall it works on me!
-Since I haven’t worked with plisse before, I was surprised to find the pleats run along the crosswise grain! So that means to have the pleats runnng vertically on my dress, I had to cut on the dress on the crosswise grain. It’s a bit confusing if you’re new to sewing. I’ve cut stripes on the crosswise when the stripes were horizontal instead of vertical for the garment design.
For this fabric, there is more stretch in the crosswise grain – as is the usual for fabrics! So cutting the length on the crosswise means it’s more stretchy vertically than horizontally. I have no idea if this is all plisse fabric, or this style from Fabric.com. I was a bit nervous when I cut it, but it all worked out. I definitely needed that extra inch I added to the pattern though!
Blue Floral Scuba/Neoprene Tank Dress
I’ve had this fabric in my stash for SO long! Mood Fabrics had this digital print scuba fabric in stock for years, but I’ve waited too long to make something, because I don’t see these styles in stock anymore. Any other scuba fabric will perform the same.
I used the Lola Dress pattern by Stay Stitch Pattern co. I polled on instagram whether to make a skirt or a dress. I had a hard time deciding! In the end this pattern can work as a skirt or a dress!
NOTES:
-Like the plisse above, I also had to cut this on the crosswise grain! This time, I needed the length, because the fabric is wide, but I only had a little over a yard in length. This was more nerve-wracking than the plisse, because there is a nice amount of stretch in the crosswise grain, but it’s like a woven lengthwise! It worked out because I altered the pattern.
-I added 1″ to the center front and 2″ to the center back. The back piece is a one-piece pattern, but I cut it in two pieces with a center back seam. The additional inch is on each back piece. I wish I added a zipper! I definitely recommend a zipper if you make the Lola with a scuba knit.
Cape Cod Itinerary
A few friends messaged me on instagram for my Cape Cod recommendations. Since we’ve been there a few times, here’s what I can recommend:
-It’s best to visit between Memorial Day and Labor Day. We’ve visited in the middle of September and enjoyed it as well, however check if all your destinations are open after the busy season.
-Cape Cod National Seashore. It’s a huge national park with many sites that you can tour over a couple days.
-Plimonth Museum. An interactive open air town, with re-creations of Native American and Pilgrim settlements. Fun for kids because they can run around!
-All the beaches! We’ve been to several in different towns in the Cape over the years. The only thing is keep in mind are the parking fees! Each beach is different, some as high as $40, others others low as $15.
-There are many boat tours offered. This time we were closest to Bay Spirit Tours. We did an hour and half harbor cruise and it was very enjoyable! Book one to two weeks in advance.
-A couple years ago, we went with my parents on a Martha’s Vineyard day trip. We hired a taxi for the day to drive us around and show us popular sites. It was a cool vibe! Nantucket Island is also a bucket list destination for me. It’s fairly expensive for round trip tickets for a family of five, plus attractions and food on the island. I wouldn’t put either of them high on the list if you have young kids, unless it’s your main reason for a Cape Cod visit!
-Food: On our very first trip to Cape Cod, we enjoyed the seafood SO much. Now, with three kids, I have to be honest and say most of the cute restaurants are too pricey and not practical for us. Yes, there’s always kid menus, but it was easier for us to order simple food from food chains for the kids. There isn’t a ton of cuisine varieties, and for a few days that works out.
Have you visited Cape Cod? Share your fave places if you have! I’m pretty sure I’ll plan another trip for next summer!
Thanks for reading!
-Ammara
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