Hey guys, exciting news!!! I was recently asked to do a guest Q&A for Minerva Crafts, and it’s gone live today! It still seems so foreign to me that anyone wants to hear my opinion, but I’m immensely appreciative, anyway.
Minerva Crafts is a really cool site, based across the pond, with some of the most gorgeous fabrics I’ve seen around. The Cincinnati area is full of quilting stores, but if you’re looking for something other than quilting cotton, and Joann’s doesn’t float your boat, you’re basically shit out of luck :/ So a new online resource is always a plus for me. Also…I can’t help but think of Minerva McGonagall, no? The more Harry Potter references I have, the happier I am! So go check them out and show my Q&A some love, pretty pretty please.
I made my deadline, and completed Butterick 5882 on Saturday, moments before walking out the door! If I’m being honest…I’m still not completely pleased with the dress, but…it’s my birthday so I’m giving myself a pass 😉
Buzzed posing in a public place
I made some alterations to this pattern. I added my usual pockets, and I changed the bodice. I lowered the boned portion and curved it along the bust. If I could do it again, I would lower it a full two more inches, it STILL sat too high for my taste. I really wanted something that sat under my bust, where the underwire of a bra hits. I also altered the cups, to compensate for lowering the shelf, by adding two more rows of pleats. For me, the cups go too far up toward my shoulders, I would change that a bit if I made this garment again. I cut a size 12, and it was just a bit too big. In the future, I would cut a 10. This is a Gertie pattern, and for some reason I ALWAYS have fit issues with her patterns :/
High bust cups and gaping.
The main fabric is also from Gertie’s collection, with the bodice cups and straps just being a black quilting cotton. I lined it with some kind of polyester “lining” fabric, this dress uses a ton of fabric, so I felt like using cotton lining would make it just too heavy. The fabrics were a dream to sew, and the lining felt amazing on the skin, staying cool even in the muggy Ohio summer.
I dunno why I can’t stand up straight like a normal person.
I did an invisible zip, because those give me the least amount of trouble! All of my seams were serged, with the hem just being serged and turned up. All and all, the dress is far from perfect but it worked for the occasion! Definite party dress vibes! Happy sewing 🙂
Hello all!!! I’m putting the finishing touches on my birthday dress, it looks like I’ll make the deadline! In the meantime, I wanted to share the second dress I made for maxi dress sew along. It is basically the same version of McCall’s 7119 that I made for myself, with some minor changes.
Oh hey Amanda!
My friend Amanda lives in Maryland, so there was no opportunity for fitting before I made this. Since it’s a wrap dress, the fit is pretty forgiving, but I do wish I could fix the way it sticks out near her shoulder. For her version, I added about 6 inches to length, because she is an Amazon, that lucky girl! I also used a knit for this dress, instead of the woven that the pattern calls for. Having made this pattern before, I wasn’t too worried about any problems there, though it is probably causing the bodice issue.
Teeny waist!
To finish the hem, I just did a rolled hem with my serger. It’s a casual dress and I just like the girl touch it gives it. Plus…I fucking hate doing hems. I did try somewhat to match the stripes, but I didn’t agonize over it. Overall, I’m happy with it. Bring it with you next time you come in, Amanda, I’ll fix your bodice! Happy sewing 🙂
Today it’s officially just ten short days until my birthday celebration…and I haven’t even cut my pattern yet. Also I plan to heavily modify this bodice. My apologies if I’m not as active in the coming days, I need to do some serious sewing! Cross your fingers and hope I’m not totally fucked 😳
Have you ever had a dress that looks great in the mirror, but in pictures, makes you look like a lumpy ham? That is this dress for me. I swear, I thought it was flattering. Whatever, I’m still going to wear the hell out of it anyway!!
Pretending to be interested in grass.
The pattern is McCall’s 6956, and the fabric is some random Robert Kaufman tulip quilting cotton I’ve had for ages. I opted for version B of the pattern, with the a/b cup sizing. I love a good strapless dress, but I hate pulling up my dress all night. Since this dress has tons of boning, you actually DON’T have to do that, it kinda stays up on it’s own. I added cups, just for extra stability, and I also added some ruching to the bodice, just to help adjust the fitting a bit. Other than that, it pretty much fit straight out of the package.
Close up bodice detailing, kinda.
Top is fully lined, while the skirt is unlined. With that, boning, and the heavier weight cotton, the dress still felt cool and comfortable, even in yesterday’s heat. The boning gave me a bit of grief, but that could have just been me misinterpreting the instructions. As I understood them, the boning was to extend past the pleating, which was a headache. I decided to just end it at the pleating, and from there it was smooth sailing. I left off the bottom band on the skirt, only because it made no sense with my fabric pattern.
This is where I almost fell down. Smooth.
Honestly, I love a well fitted dress and I think I’ll wear this one quite a bit, even if it has reminded me to lose 20 pounds 😉 It’s such a fun party dress! I hope all your summer sewing is going well, happy sewing 🙂
I hope everyone had a fabulous July fourth!!! I got to enjoy mine with a few friends and some beers. And my maxi dress challenge wrap dress! The pattern is McCall’s 7119 and it was an absolute breeze to sew.
Oh look, more weird hand stuff.
Since I was out with friends and enjoying some adult beverages, my picture quality is a little lacking, for that I apologize. I’m not sure what happened to my hair, either, because I swear I started out the day with cute, curly hair.
Cute hair selfies from earlier in the day.
Back to the dress. I used a mystery fabric from a Joann clearance sale. I think based on the way it wrinkles and a burn test, it’s a cotton or cotton blend? No stretch at all, though I did make a knit version for my friend Amanda, which is coming to the blog soon! I sized the pattern down and cut a 10, and the fit is pretty perfect. I added Saltspring pockets, because always pockets. Turns out, Lladybird uses the same trick, glad I’m not the only one who is pro-additional pockets. I also added two inches to the length, which works out great with wedges. This is a true wrap dress, so…beware of strong breezes and make sure you wear full underwear, if you want to avoid a wardrobe malfunction!
Photobombs!
I really, really love the way this bodice fits. The cut is absolutely perfect, and once tied properly, it fits well and stays in place. The pattern instructions were clear and simple, I actually followed them, for once. Though it is a full length dress, it’s comfortable and cool, even on a hot summer day. It’s also a pretty quick sew, which I clearly love. If I had time, I would for sure sew the shorter version of this, but I have 283749387 planned to sew currently 🙁 If you haven’t selected a maxi dress pattern yet, I’d recommend this one. It really lives up to it’s “easy” label.
I have one last picture for you, which I present to you without comment…as there are no words for what my friends are wearing. Sometimes, it’s just fun to let loose and be ridiculous 😉 Happy sewing! 🙂
Let me tell you a short tale of a girl and a concert. Last year, I saw on Instagram that two of my favorite bands (Jimmy Eat World and The Gaslight Anthem) would be doing a limited amount of shows together. Noticing that one of these shows was in Philadelphia, I immediately purchased two tickets. Here’s a fun fact: Philadelphia is not 4 hours away from Cincinnati (that would be Pittsburgh), it is NINE FUCKING HOURS AWAY! That’s fun to find out after making a commitment 😕 However, my friend Kendra is a trooper and agreed to make this voyage with me.
Thanks Kendra!
Since I knew I’d be walking around/driving a lot on this trip, I wanted something comfortable. Enter the Sewaholic Saltspring. I had sewn this up with Amy shortly before that, I think in one day. I always find Sewaholic patterns easy to sew, the instructions are great. I opted for the shorter version, but the longer version would be great too (especially if you were doing a maxi dress challenge hint hint wink wink nudge nudge). The fabric was from the Joann “silky prints” sale, even though it’s clearly not silky at all! My best guess is that it’s a crepe de chine?
Scandalous statues!
I added a belt to the dress, because I just like a more accented waist. I still wear this dress all the time, so I think it’s definitely work a make. Also…driving nine hours for a concert is definitely worth it, do it!!!
Sometimes in sewing, shit just does not work out the way you planned. Sometimes you accidentally make mom jeans. I should point out that this is not really the fault of the pattern, in this case, rather just the fault of some lazy, lazy sewing.
Where did my abdomen go?
I was blessed with a naturally hourglass figure, and some longer than normal (for my height) legs. However…I have an absurdly short abdomen. And no shoulders. It’s weird. When making high waisted items, it would be smart to take that into consideration, wouldn’t it? I did not do that. I just went full steam ahead, cutting and sewing a straight 12. I am such a smart girl sometimes!!!
Even I don’t have an excuse for me
This is Butterick b5895, a Gertie pattern, and as such has tons of reviews. Most of these reviews are good, so…this was a sewists error. I had also intended to make the crop top that goes along with these pants, but honestly, I just lost interest in this pattern. Perhaps one day I’ll pull this out again and revamp it? For now…I move onto my maxi dress . Don’t let that discourage you from giving this a go, though. They actually came together crazy fast and the instructions were way easy to follow. Go on with your normal-sized abdomen and make some adorable capris! Happy sewing 🙂
I’ve really been making an effort to sew from my stash. I bought this fabric last year when Joann had a sale on their “silky prints”. While I do love polka dots and red is one of the few colors are wear…I had almost immediate regret after buying this fabric. It’s just too shiny, too red. It looks like clown costume material! I thought about doing a solid black something with the clown polka dot skirt, but I just imagined that as worse…
Hidden bitch face.
Enter McCall’s 6952. Originally, I had envisioned this in view C, for my maxi dress sew-along but I really just think the print would overwhelming. Instead I went with view A, I love the back detail! Also I’ve been looking for some light weight, flowy dresses for the humid Ohio Summer.
I swear I have eyeballs.
All and all, it was a pretty quick sew. I opted to skip the elastic band, using some ribbon as a belt instead. I also added pockets, because I just really like pockets. I cut a straight 12, but I really think I could have done a 10, even without a zipper. Being entirely honest, I don’t think I’ll be wearing this dress as often as some other garments, but I still do like it. If you’re looking for a quick summer dress, this could be sewn in a day, though I’d suggest sizing down and maybe not using such a blindingly shiny fabric 😉
I know I’m all about McCall’s lately, I swear I have other patterns on deck! I’m really excited to sew my first maxi dress, and I can’t wait to see what my fellows sewists come up with! Happy sewing 🙂
Summer sewing is upon us!!! I’ve always been a huge fan of maxi dresses, but have never really been able to find one that’s quite long enough 🙁 So this summer, I’ve teamed up with Amy from That’s Sew Amy for this maxi dress sew-along! This is our very first time hosting a sew-along, so please join and help us make it a success!
What is it? Group sew-along. All participants make a maxi dress during the allotted time frame.
What is considered a maxi dress? a casual dress that falls to the ankles.
Examples: Here are a few examples:
image from vastkid.com
Who can participate? Anyone! There is no need to have a blog!
Where do I join? Just leave a comment below that you would like to join us. You can also join our Facebook group to discuss the sew-along, post progress pictures and make new friends! Join the private here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/maxidresssewalong/(note: you do not have to join the Facebook group in order to participate in the sew-along)
Time frame: Start sewing now and the deadline will be July 31, 2015. We are giving over a month because of vacations and other commitments.
Why? sew-alongs help motivate and push you to try new things. Also, you get to make new friends and have fun at the same time! Win/win!
Rules: Dress can be for you or someone else, any age. It has to be made within the time frame above. You can use any pattern you wish or draft your own. Adding embellishments to a current maxi dress will not count. The dress can be as formal or casual as you want. You have to submit pictures of your finished dress. You don’t have to be wearing the dress in the photos – but it makes it more fun!
Social Media: Use hashtag #maxisewalong on social media to see what everyone else is up to. Post pictures of your inspiration and progress for all to see. (You can also post your progress in the Facebook group.)
Prizes: There are no prizes, sorry. We are having this sew-along without prizes because it’s just for fun and no pressure. The whole point of a maxi dress is to be lazy and comfortable, no sweat and pressure – so the sew-along will be the same.
If you have a blog you can post this:
Final:
– Make sure to email me at sewnbyashley [at] gmail [dot] com on or before July 31, 2015 with your finished garment photos.
– Be sure to let me know what name to credit your photos with.
– If you have a website be sure to include the link.
After everyone submits their dress we will need a few days to setup a showcase post. Have fun and enjoy! Any questions just post them below or email me.
