Would YOU take a leopard to work?

The leopard dress, done. No pattern used. Actually, I turned to my La Mia Boutique simple dropped-sleeve sweater dress for the top (shortened to high hip level), and a simple pegged skirt pattern for the bottom section (widened for four 1" pleats front & back, and the top folded down to hip level).

Although the overall look is a bit loose and floppy, I did this on purpose, as this challis is very lightweight (a black cami will take care of the bit of show-through on top) and I didn't want to run the risk of damaging it with pulling and whatnot that's always a risk if a garment's too closely fitted. The skirt is lined with black bemberg to 3 cm above the knee.

The top seems to me a tad too long - viz. the puddling around the waist - and, if I decide it is after some wear, I'll make a horizontal tuck just at the belt attachment, and sew it off invisibly. No biggie. The fabric's very light, and doesn't take kindly to unpicked seams (ahem).



The hip band is long enough to tie into a bow, though I'm not a bow person, and will likely tie a half-bow at most. It's fully interfaced with pro-weft fusible (from Pam Erny, Off the Cuff), and attached only along the horizontal hip seam, leaving about 10 cm space for the knot - that way, I can really tighten it on my hip.

I have another length - 2.5 yds of wool challis, in a cheerful brown-tan-blue-grey pattern, a little heavier than the leopard, that I'd also like to turn into a spring dress, with sleeves. Any suggestions for a must-go-to great pattern?