Freestyle Hot Mess Mommy Dress


So I found this fabric on ultra clearance at Joanne’s and I thought it could be pretty fabulous.  I was in the mood to sew while little S was napping but didn’t have a pattern so I just started cutting and sewing and this is what I came up with.  Note my husband’s mad picture taking skills that created a shadow to make me look ten pounds thinner then I have in years.  Love him.

I don’t have a full DIY but I did draw out a pattern of sorts if this seems like your kind of dress.  It’s just really fun to kind of go at sewing freestyle and see what you come up with.  Get the details after the jump

And thanks for the post Craft Gossip!

I grabbed a dress that I liked the length of and a shirt i liked the sleeves on and laid them on my fabric and cut generously around the shape.

Here are the pattern pieces I used:

So that ended up way huge but I didn’t want to make zippers or anything, so i made some pleats in the back piece.  I folded over the top edge twice, ironed, then pinned pleats in and sewed in place with a straight stitch:

I hemmed the top edge of the front and decided to leave the neckline drapey.  I lined up the front and back so the sleeves matched and sewed them together at the shoulders like so:


I also sewed them together under the armhole to the waist.

Then for the booty area I took two pieces of fabric with the pattern facing the opposite direction and sewed them together, then to the side edges of the front.  Then i gathered the bottom of the back piece, pinned it to the booty piece and sewed it together (with the dress inside out of course):

Then i flipped it over and hemmed the sleeves.  So in the end the pieces go together like this:

I think it turned out pretty fun!  If you give this dress a try (or any freestyle dress) YOU HAVE TO SEND ME A PICTURE!  ok thank you.

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14 Comments

Jacinda

You are so Project Runway, just making up patterns. It's gorgeous! And tell Carleton Curtis that I love how the tangerines coordinate with the dress. He has mad photography skilz.

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Jacinda

PS. Maybe this will inspire me to get up the nerve to open my new Christmas sewing machine. Is it normal that I'm afraid of it?

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Tina

I love it! Especially the back. And your husband's mad photography!
I got a sewing machine for Christmas. First up is making window panels out of the lovely fabric I got almost a year ago & is just hanging there. Next up: all these fabulous ideas you've got!

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Jaime

jacinda maybe it is because i have the "project runway edition" sewing machine. if it makes you feel better i didnt open my serger for three months but within two hours i conquered it. open that machine!!! the only thing you have to fear is the isolation your newfound love for sewing will wreak upon your children

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Mrs B

ooooo….i am so in love with this dress although i would probably make it a bit shorter ie: long shirt that i could wear with jeans and my cowboy boots đŸ™‚ Thanks for the endless great ideas

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Nancy

Julie Andrews would be proud. I mean this in a good way. " Now it would really cute to see a tiny version for Scarlet. Really cute.

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zu

I need to tell u that I have 2 days dreaming with this dress! I want it…. And I don't even have a sewing machine! I love it

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Diana

Just wondering if I could use the shirring technique with elastic thread at the top of the neckline in the back and maybe make the back a solid piece with shirring right above the booty and a longer tail? What do you think? Does that make sense?

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