Easy burda beach dress and a gathered skirt

There were many beach dresses in burda I wanted to try over the years but never go around to trace any of them... probably because the big pattern pieces and huge fabric requirements were scarry. This summer I finally bought 2 burda issues after a long break and seen this design made and looking spectacular on others so decided to give it a try:

It was nowhere near as glamorous on me. I made the smallest version but was still drowning in it.I didn't had enough fabric so I made it shorter out of necessity but because the dress was designed for tall people it didn't looked shorter on me. Maybe for the same reason I hate that the bat sleeves end on my hip rather then my waist as I think it should. I cut down a bit of the sleeves fullness and added a patch pocket. I had to really push myself to finish it as the 1st try out was a big let down.

When we returned from the seaside I had the inspired thought to ask my mother in law if the wants to try it and even if the is several numbers bigger then me the dress was fitting her and looking way better then on me. So in the end I was quite happy to have someone wanting it.
  I had so little time in energy lately for sewing but when my sister was visiting me one evening and said she wanted a simple gathered skirt I could not resist the temptation to get rid of one my stash fabrics:

I used zig zag over the elastic waistband to make sure skirt will stay even spread at all times. I used the waistband only large enough to pass the hip not the full hem size to reduce the bulk. That took a bit of extra time to first and sew the 2 pieces together. The skirt has 2 panels but I managed to make the side seams pretty invisible!
  I also got a picture of a simple Lekala 4177 white top i made my mother in law this spring:

I could not resist some fabric shopping lately so Sewing 126 - Shopping 112.