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Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Sew Weekly: The Perfect Summer Dress

When I heard that the Sew Weekly theme this week was the perfect summer dress, I knew exactly what I wanted to sew! There are so many great things about summer. Summer is about fun, ease and spending as much time as possible outside. So what's better than a picnic themed retro wrap dress?

Fabric: Blue gingham (Is a print this big still allowed to be called gingham??) 5 yds at $5 a yd
Pattern: Butterick Retro B4790
Year: reprint of 1952 pattern
Notions: bias binding ($9), buttons ($3), snaps (from stash)
Time to complete: 2 days plus 24 hours for bias to set
First worn: May 2011
Wear again? Yes! It was cute and comfy! It does wrinkle a but more than I'd prefer but next go around I'll know better.
Total Cost: $37

Outfit:
Dress: made by me
Shoes: Macy's
Earrings: Forever 21

The construction of the dress was quite simple. It's not the same structure as your typical wrap dress but I like it. The only alterations I did were to add snaps on the sides to prevent any any accidental bra strap appearances. The hem lines of the two layers didn't end up the same, despite enlisting my husbands help to hem. Oh, well. It looks ok. I was just bummed because now it's too short for my crinoline. Guess I'll have to buy a shorter one.

I didn't bother matching my stripes, but it's not even really noticeable except at the back seam of the skirt.

I've been doing a bit of Alice Cullen inspired hair the past couple of days and it's super fun!

What's your idea of the perfect summer dress?
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13 comments:

  1. DebiMay 31, 2011 at 6:52 PM

    FABULOUS!! I love this dress so much! my favourite walk-away dress!! Great job!

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  2. Vanessa, Take only MemoriesMay 31, 2011 at 7:18 PM

    What a cute dress! Looks lovely on you!

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  3. jessMay 31, 2011 at 8:21 PM

    Your take on this pattern is so great. My perfect summer dress is this coral reef embroidery dress I'm working on. I'm starting to think it won't be done until summer is over.

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  4. Vintage GirlMay 31, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    Just adorable! Your dress looks great. Perfect fit! I love the red.

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  5. ShannonJune 1, 2011 at 12:48 AM

    This looks gorgeous on you- I love the blue gingham with the red trim! Perfect for summer!

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  6. AnonymousJune 1, 2011 at 5:36 AM

    brilliant dress, love the red trim with the giant gingham!

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  7. AlyssaJune 1, 2011 at 8:23 AM

    I still have yet to make this dress :( Was it hard to fit?

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  8. NaomiJune 1, 2011 at 9:36 AM

    Adorable! Adding snaps to the underarms is a great tip! I'll have to add them to mine.

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  9. Stephanie LynnJune 1, 2011 at 11:17 AM

    Thanks guys! :)

    @ Lisette, It really wasn't hard fit. I didn't have to do a FBA (just added the snaps) and the skirt is so full I didn't have to adjust the hips either. You can probably just go with your waist measurement. I went with a rather snug fit to get an hour glass shape.

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  10. AnonymousJune 1, 2011 at 1:55 PM

    Soooooo cute! That really is the perfect summer dress!!

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  11. Rene MicheleJune 3, 2011 at 11:53 PM

    Love this dress on you! I have had this pattern for a while, and I have yet to actually see it finished. It's perfect on you. Also, your blog is great!

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  12. RebeccakJune 5, 2011 at 6:43 PM

    This is amazing! I have seen this pattern floating around for a while now and wanted to have a go. It looks so so lovely on you!

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  13. JaneJune 9, 2011 at 11:48 AM

    Ooh it's lovely. I love the gingham print and the red accents. You look fab in it too. x

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