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Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Bright Paisley Dress DIY & Skirt Donation

I'm a rather predictable person.  Stick me in a fabric store and I automatically gravitate towards nautical / classical prints like stripes, paisleys, and florals.  Similarly, you can expect that I will overuse my favorite McCall's M5972 bodice and self-draft a skirt with some kind of pleated detail.  For this dress, I decided to tone down the bold print a little with a narrower silhouette than my typical fit-and-flare.  Using three box pleats in the center, I was able straighten the hip flare while still masking my ever-present mommy pouch (flat tummy mommies - please share your secrets!).  I added cap sleeves to make it a tiny bit more demure for the office.

Fabric: Joann's, 2 yards, home decor, 54", 100% polyester.  Sooo, technically, this is outdoor fabric and I wouldn't really recommend it for apparel purposes because it is quite stiff.  However, I  really loved the print and noted that it was washable, so figured it'd be ok for my purposes.

Pattern: McCall's M5972 bodice w/ narrowed frame (using this method), cap sleeves (using this tutorial), and self-drafted skirt 

Difficulty: Easy / Intermediate

Time: ~3.5 hrs

Bright Paisley Dress DIY
Talbots Sandals (good eye, Gigi!)
F21 Necklace & J. Crew bracelet (not that you can really see them)

Box Pleat Detail

To those who sew out there, I saw this tweet from Tailor Made Blog and thought it would be great to share and drum up some sewing for those in need (focus is on girls in foster care): http://t.co/dYvZ92bvfv
I will be whipping up some skirts this weekend!
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14 comments:

  1. UnknownJuly 10, 2013 at 9:29 AM

    I love this dress on you. The colour and patterns are gorgeous!

    www.petitestyleonline.com

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  2. CaroJuly 10, 2013 at 11:17 AM

    I adore this print!!!!!!!

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  3. KileenJuly 10, 2013 at 12:42 PM

    What a beautiful dress!! I wish I had your sewing skills. I'm still on the lookout for a paisley dress myself but did find a paisley skirt last week. :)

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  4. MeJuly 10, 2013 at 12:52 PM

    Love the colors of this dress! And the cap sleeves are a nice touch.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 1:13 PM

    You look super cute in this dress! I love the print : )

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  6. UnknownJuly 10, 2013 at 2:17 PM

    The print of this dress is gorgeous and the cut is very flattering :)

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  7. lisacngJuly 10, 2013 at 2:21 PM

    What a lovely dress in a great pattern. The yellow shoes are just perfect. What a lovely organization to use the vast talent out there for girls in need.

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  8. Lisa - respect the shoesJuly 10, 2013 at 4:31 PM

    Beautiful print and fit on you! I continue to be sublimely envious of your fantastic sewing skills.

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  9. Crazy Style LoveJuly 10, 2013 at 6:43 PM

    What a gorgeous dress! That print is so colorful and pretty on you! You are just so talented!!!

    xo Jenny

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  10. VickyJuly 10, 2013 at 7:10 PM

    Beautiful! I thought about what I can make in 3.5 hours... not much. :(

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  11. phiphis blogJuly 10, 2013 at 11:13 PM

    you look lovely and the dress is fantastic.

    the donation is a wonderful idea and such a good cause!

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  12. JoyJuly 12, 2013 at 6:05 AM

    The dress is lovely on you. You cease to amaze me with how talented you are and I love box pleats! Also, thanks for sharing about the good cause.

    shortandsweetjoy

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  13. UnknownJuly 12, 2013 at 1:27 PM

    If I knew how to sew I would totally dontate some skirts too! It's such a good cause.

    Maggie
    lovestylehappiness.blogspot.com

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  14. A Petite TreatJuly 13, 2013 at 4:08 PM

    This dress is so cute!!

    Jenn
    A Petite Treat

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I'm the type of gal who gets giddy when I receive mail - it's no different with comments! I really appreciate the feedback and love hearing from you :)