Lovely Lyra with Lions

 I'm back on the gathers - and as non-gather lover - this pattern is a whole lot them.

This is the super popular Lyra dress by Tilly and the Buttons It appealed to me as last year I found myself surprisingly fond of the Myosotis dress and who doesn't love a collared shirt dress so pop those 2 together and you get Lyra. 

I cut a straight Size 7 for this dress - my hip measurement put me at an 8 however there is so much ease in this it was not a problem at all. I could actually have still gone down to a 6 for the top for a more fitted shirt - however I do like oversized shirts and the loose feel in the heat. 

There are some lovely details on this pattern including the button placket (love a button, check out those paws), pockets, a waist tie and some funky little thread loops for the belt.

 I'd never tried this type of loop before and it did take some practice. I watched the video about 10 times and eventually got the nack of it. Once you get knotting the thread properly they come together quickly. Just not immediately!

 The fabric is a viscose from 1st For Fabrics and full of great animals. It's soft, breathable and drapes very well indeed for this pattern. 

I only had 2 meters but did manage to squeeze the whole thing into that EXCEPT for the pockets. Which are still an animal print of sorts...

I burn like a crisp and so these longer 'short' sleeves are good coverage when sitting in the sun, as is the collar for neck protection if you flip it up like Cantona. Here's my #showitseated pic for you:

I'm a bit obsessed by Mysostis v Lyra as at first glance they looked incredibly similar. I thought after I had made the Lyra there would be a clear winner but actually they are quite different dresses. I can't really put my finger on why though! 

The Lyra is certainly a lot more 'full' and feels a much more flouncy dress that's for sure. I think the Mysostis dress feels slightly more..sophisticated? 

If the dresses were people I think Myosotis would be sipping a fine chilled wine being very chic and cool. Lyra is it's chatty happy-go-lucky cousin sipping a pink cocktail with umbrellas. There's room in life for both.

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