I love Liberty Art Fabrics.  All kinds.  All prints.  All qualities.  I have quite a stash of tana lawn and some wool, but I’ve never handled any of their silks.  Until DD1 set eyes upon this dress from Burda’s February 2013 issue. It’s called the “City Dress”, and DD1 liked it because it’s modeled in red.  After hunting through my stash and going back and forth about the fabric, I noticed Burda mentioned Liberty as the fabric source.  So I searched through Shaukat, which their website claims is the largest stockist of Liberty fabrics in London.  Well, they had the design, Xanthe Sunbeam, in the red colourway, but in a satin crepe de chine.  I decided to splurge for my DD, and I don’t regret it.  It’s a gorgeous tightly woven silk with the most delicious hand.  There’s even a little left over for a top or blouse.I went down to my local Mokuba to look for the petersham trim, and was shocked at the price per yard. Five to six dollars per yard for petersham ribbon?  Does anyone else think that’s absurd? I decided I could order rolls by the time I purchased the almost 3 yards required for this dress in the selection of colours I wanted to have from which  DD could choose.  So I bought a collection of reds-pinks-purples from TheSewingPlace, which were a lot more reasonably priced, even with the shipping, than paying what the local brick & mortar store wanted per yard.  What can I say?  I enjoy being a personal shopper for my kids. 🙂  Besides, multiple choices mean more stash.  *smug wink*I cut a straight size 38, and made no changes since the dress is so loose-fitting.  Except for that 3-inches-from-the-waist deep front slit.  Burda suggested putting a hook & eye closure at the top, and then again 5 inches down – probably about bust point level.  I cut and finished the slit as prescribed, since it’s a design feature.  See?  It’s open clear to the waistline. Then I added a strip of fabric behind the slit for modesty and decency’s sake.  Besides, wearing a slip or camisole under this would not be DD1’s style.And I lined the skirt.  Because lining skirts is, imho, the proper way to make a skirt.  Linings make a garment modest to wear, ensure the garment hangs well, and contribute to a long life of happy wearing.  Besides, who wants to wear a silk crepe de chine dress that’s unlined in the skirt?  And, like I mentioned above, slips are not a first choice. The lining is rayon bemberg from stash.  Not quite a good match, but it’s close enough to do the job.   All the seams are sewn as French seams to keep things neat and tidy.