I just finished this dress for my "little sister's" (Big Brother Big Sister) quinceañera this coming weekend. This is a FREE pattern from the UK Love Sewing Magazine. I think I first saw it on Pinterest and was surprised it was a free pdf pattern. Of course, you have to create an account on their website. The one caveat is that there are no instructions. You have to buy the particular issue in which it was featured to get the instructions - totally fair. If you are an experienced sewer, you can easily put this dress together.
I worked methodically to get a good fit with this dress, trying it on and altering it each step of the way. I love the end result. I really like the vintage silhouette: the empire waist, gathers, and A line skirt. What I didn't like in the end were the sleeves. They were slight bell shaped and much longer. I felt like the dress needed to show a bit more skin so I shortened and narrowed the sleeves. I used a beautiful woven blue stretch linen and viscose fabric by Theory from Mood Fabrics (seems sold out).
I'll be honest, when I first put this dress on, I felt it was a bit Handmaid's Tale. However, I decided to try it with a few different pairs of shoes and the outfit completely changed.
Shoes, Shoes, glorious shoes. They are a weakness of mine. These are 5" stilettos by SJP (SJP by Sarah Jessica Parker). These shoes are beautiful and I don't get to wear them often. They are tall. I plan to wear them to the quinceañera mass earlier in the day. The second pair (which I'll wear to the reception) are from Zara. They are made with an interesting tapestry fabric and have a much lower heel. They'll be very comfy and dance friendly.
Lastly, I love putting my own label into the clothes I make. It adds both a personal and finishing touch to the garment. I have labels left over from my previous business but you can get personalized labels from Etsy or simpler ones at your local fabric/craft stores or Amazon.
What is your favorite dress silhouette?
