This was my personal favourite of all the pieces made for Miss V over the last couple of weeks. She brought me a sarong, which apparently all the house mothers and grandmothers wear while going about their daily chores in the village she is working/living in for the next few years. But she cannot wear a sarong wrapped around her as her only covering as she teaches English and goes about her daily duties, and she thought it would be nice to have it made into a dress. She would be able to wear it while working and it would also showcase the batik in a way that would be pretty and interesting for the women around her to see, especially made up “western style”. I chose Simplicity 2846 because the design would give plenty of room for letting the batik speak for itself. It was also a nice change from the other dresses I’d made for her with the pleated neckline and cap sleeves.
The batik is made of cotton. It’s not waxed, so it’s not a ‘true’ batik in that sense. She gave me an orange version, which is still in it’s package. 
I think it must be a mass-produced item. And I cannot find anything about this particular batik anywhere online. Miss V’s red batik has a little trademark printed as part of the design.
If you’re more google savvy than I or know something about this, please share it in the comments! I’d love to know more about it. Anyways, the fabric came stitched with one flat felled seam up what is supposed to be the back of the sarong, so I took it apart and used that cross grain border up the CB zipper.
It’s about 2mm off, of all the annoying things, and I just couldn’t be bothered doing it again. The cotton is very tightly woven and softened up a bit after washing, but I didn’t line the dress at all. To my mind, if these get worn alone in hot sticky places on the planet, then it would hold up well as an unlined garment even in the worst of hot humid weather. I did not hem it – just left the selvedge as the hem edge – but I did bind all the seams with narrow bias self-binding. I forgot to take a pic of the inside, but it looks very clean and pretty.
I’m so in love with this dress that I intend to use the orange batik for my own version next summer. It makes me happy just looking at it on Vintage Judy! And that’s the last of Miss V’s clothing! I’ve muslined my LFJ and am not happy with the fit of it, and have cut another pair of (blue) jeans for myself and an interesting Marfy jacket for my DD3, who needs something other than a ski jacket to wear during the coming cold months when she’s dressed up a bit. Lots more fun to keep me busy. 🙂 A happy sewing day to all of you!
Mezzo Couture 
So pretty! I’ve made that pattern up, and love it. Great dress.
Oh my goodness – could I be your DD4??
This is so Frida Kahlo – Im smitten 🙂
It’s such a pretty dress and a very creative use of the batik, especially how you pieced the back.
Very pretty! I love the print placement at the back seam.
It really is a pretty print on a beautiful dress! Your friend is so lucky because you’ve made her some awesome garments!
This is just gorgeous, and I love the showcasing of the print. Nice!!!
Gorgeous! I have print placement envy!!!
What a great use of this sarong. The placement of the pattern is impecable! And the colours, oh! LOVE IT!
The orange one should become a dress for yourself ASAP
Wow, this dress looks absolutely lovely! Your print placement is PERFECT!! you are a generous and kind friend to make such gorgeous things… she is lucky to have you !
I agree with all the other comments. This really is a most beautiful dress and great use of a sarong. I have travelled to Indonesia several times and bought sarongs. Apparently all the different islands making up Indonesia have their own traditional patterns for printing on cotton and rayon to make sarongs. The batik patterns are even more defining of different cultures within Indonesia. When in Bali recently, I was set upon by a lady selling sarongs and she got me at a weak moment. She told me her children needed medicine so I bought 3 sarongs. When I showed them to my villa hostess, she laughed and said what I had paid was way too much and the sarongs were not traditional to Bali. Apparently the sarong lady was Javanese and the 2 cultures are very different. I really didn’t mind.
This is truly beautiful – what a perfect way to showcase that gorgeous fabric – oh the colours… much as i adore my dear beloved West Coast rainy winters and cold foggy mornings, that print makes me long for a hot sunny place to wear a sweet dress like that ^__^ Can’t wait to see your orange!!
Your fabric placement of the batik is outstanding. It’s truly a beautiful dress!
i love this! what a perfect dress to showcase the beautiful fabric. i never would have chosen that pattern, but it works perfectly here.
Amazing dress. I bet the local women at your daughter’s new home will want to copy this rather than continuing to wear sarongs!
Great use of the border!
I love how you have used the border along the zip, just brilliant. I have some pieces of Indonesian batik and been stuck what to do… no longer!
Stunning! What a good use of the motifs and selvedge….really makes you want one of your own!
A stunning dress! Love the back zip detail…and that pic on it on Vintage Judy! Great lighting!