I finished sewing this dress the other night.

It’s definitely one of the most challenging patterns I’ve ever made.  However, the gleam in hubby’s eye when he first saw it on me made it all worthwhile.  😉

I’ve seen several photos of this dress completed and the wraps in this style seems to make the most of everyone’s figure.  Us girls thank you, Donna!

Here’s the pattern photo, which shows the details a little better than my navy blue fabric.

And here’s my review of the pattern.
Pattern Description: Fitted dress, below mid-knee, has pleated and tucked front forming wrap effect. Front extends to back at sides, back has zipper and hemline vent. No side seams.

Pattern Sizing: Other reviewers have mentioned that this dress runs big in the bust area. I made a straight size 16, which worked out perfectly as it was a size smaller than my bust measurements indicated, but was just what I needed for the hip measurement.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it? Yes, it’s very flattering.

Were the instructions easy to follow? Well, um, no. But not because the directions weren’t well written, they were. This dress is unique in its construction, and you just have to follow each step carefully.

On steps 12 and 13, the pattern directions have reversed the sides to be sewn on top/bottom. (Compared with the photo on the pattern envelope.) This was probably the most confusing part for me, as I tend to swap right and left anyhow.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I thought the use of a back zipper was silly and pointless in a knit dress.

Fabric Used: Cotton/Lycra blend knit

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made: I added 3″ to the hem length and I skipped the back zipper and the hem vent. This meant that I cut pieces 5 & 6 on the fold, with the folds at the center back marks.

This makes steps 21 and 22 a little confusing. However, if you marked everything carefully, you should be able to get it all going in the right direction without too much difficulty. (The good news is that you can skip steps 24-28, putting in the zipper.)

I also found I need to do a little hand tacking of the top wrap at the point of piece #3, as there was a bit of gaping where the wraps crossed.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others? This dress was done in an inexpensive fabric as a wearable muslin. I definitely plan to make it again in red, which I think will be quite va-va-voom. 🙂

Conclusion: A fun challenge for advanced sewers. It only took a few hours to complete from start to finish.

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