Fabric and pattern for this post purchased by me. Though, this blog post does contain affiliate links so I can sew warm clothes. ;)
It's November already, and it's freezing already in Washington and obviously I decide to make a summer dress. Obviously.
It's November already, and it's freezing already in Washington and obviously I decide to make a summer dress. Obviously.
For this month as part of the Striped Swallow Designs promotional team I bring to you the Summer Dawn Wrap Dress. This one was a favorite of mine since it's release. I actually planned to sew this dress for the wedding I attended in August but Jupiter and Mars didn't align with the sacrificial goat ceremony on the full moon. (The fabric shipment and sew time didn't want to cooperate with my work schedule.) So I put it off until now! Anyhow, the pattern + my doting husband makes me feel like a total fox.
The wrap dress comes in sizes XS to XXXL and is a really flattering shape on many body types. It sure makes me look shapelier than I feel... Ahhemmm... boobs...
In fact, the Summer Dawn has been gorgeous in every picture I've seen!
Best of all, the PDF has layers so you can print only your size. God send.
We went to a local college campus for pictures and it was approximately freezing. Does anyone else feel super awkward posing for pictures in front of people? I want to make my husband a shirt that says, "It's okay, she sews." Or "This is a work project." ... maybe those would be too weird. Haha
Being on a college campus reminded me how bad parking sucks. Stop encouraging people to go to college, there are no parking spaces left! I'm so glad I have already graduated. My feet were falling off after all the walking we had to do to get to different locations. Totally worth it though.
Here is a slightly blurry pic of the flutter sleeve. This just so happens to be my favorite sleeve type. Delicate, feminine, and so cute.
This wrap dress is a little different in two ways. 1. the wrap at the bottom is angled and 2. the front of the skirt actually attaches to part of the tie. This is important to me because it creates a smoother cross over on the bust. Each bodice piece doesn't have to stretch all the way to the waist seam and it creates a more flattering fit than other wrap dresses I've sewn. It also comes with mini and maxi lengths so you can create a formal dress, too!
FYI, when a pattern says they draft for 5'5" and you happen to be 5'7" don't try to squeeze a mini dress into the same length. I didn't hem the bottom because it would be far too short for my comfort if I did! Had I added the extra two inches like I was supposed to, I'd have plenty of room to hem.
I sewed the XS for the bodice and the S for the hips and I think from printing the pattern to ... not hemming ... was about 4 hours with breaks. Probably two hours of actually sewing time not counting the cutting out. I cut so slow, it's absolutely my least favorite sewing job.
The fabric I used is from CaliFabrics and it's the ever popular DBP. I loved the fabric on the website, I ordered it and it arrived and I suddenly didn't love it and then I sewed it into this gorgeous dress and now I can't think of a better print to have used. It absolutely screams, "TAKE ME ON A DATE!" I love using DPB for wrap dresses because you'll know if you've ever used this type of material that the brushing kind of acts like a gentle Velcro which is really nice when you're worried about the wind blowing your dress flap open. Haha
This dress is perfect for all the holiday parties we have coming up. I'm planning on wearing mine to the friends-giving that we host every year as well as the surprise date I have planned for my husband coming up in December. The long version would be great for family photos for Christmas or family gatherings and the short version would be perfect paired with tights and boots for your holiDates coming up, or even Valentine's!
Details
Pattern: Summer Dawn Wrap Dress $9
Fabric: CaliFabrics Roses on Wine $6.74/y for 2y = $13.48
Thread: $.50
Aproximate Cost $24
