The Stepford Dress by Alida Lee & Jessica Abbott

Jan 20, 2015

When I finally had solid plans to go to St. Lucia for my brother’s wedding, I realized I wanted to make myself a dress.  It’s mostly because it’s winter and he was getting married on a tropical island.  On the beach.  And finding a dress to fit the bill and my style was going to be tough.  Oh, and I’m cheap.  So I wanted something cute that didn’t cost me anything.

I spent ridiculous amounts of time trying to figure out what I wanted.  I almost bought dresses on ModCloth (because it’s obviously the best option for clothing if you’re not wanting to make it yourself) but I really wanted to make it myself.  Suddenly.  A lightbulb.  The Stepford Seven.

I basically stalk Alida and Jessica in every form.  They are my sewing heroes.
I secretly pretend to be best friends with them.  (That is possibly the weirdest thing I’ve ever written on this blog.)

Anywho.  Carrying on.

I didn’t get a lot of shots of me in my dress.  Because I felt weird asking someone to take a bunch of pictures of me when I was at someone’s wedding.  You know…the whole thing about it not being my day and me not being the focus.  But I did get this one.

I’m hoping that I did this dress pattern justice.  I had these fabrics in my house already and I didn’t have the zipper that is required to make it the right way.  I “Katyed” this project and did it without a zipper.  I am busty and needed a FBA anyway, so I decided to go super crazy with it and expanded the back piece enough that it would slip over my head and be wearable, even though the bodice is of a woven fabric.

I think with the belt, it works.  It helped cinch the waist once it was on me.  The shoulders were a little droopier than I had anticipated but it was okay.  The thing I did adore was the fabric I used for the skirt.  It was AH-mazing.  The drape is awesome, the black & white ikat is punchy and formal yet not…and it was super soft and I loved wearing it.

So all in all, this dress was a winner.  And, because I used only materials I already owned, it was FREE!  I certainly plan on making another, but perhaps following the rules the next time around.  Or at least mostly following the rules.  I do what I want. 🙂

Disclosure: As always, you’ll find some affiliate links scattered within my post, which means I receive a small amount of compensation if you end up purchasing something I’ve recommended.  Keep in mind that I link these companies and their products because of their quality and not because of the commission I receive from your purchases. The decision is yours, and whether or not you decide to buy something is completely up to you.  Purchasing from my links does not alter the pricing in any way for you, it simply helps feed my sewing, creating and blogging habits.  Thank you for your support!

2 Comments

  1. Meghan Hayes

    I like the bottom fabric more than I like the top fabric, but over all I love the dress. It works perfectly for a beach wedding. It's so pretty on you too. The greenish hue really makes your red hair pop.

    Reply
  2. Katy McKinley

    I was afraid having the entire dress in a pattern would be too distracting, even for me. That's why I went and tried to tone it down with the top. But now I'm thinking I could have pulled it off with the Ikat everywhere. Whatevs, it worked. 🙂

    Reply

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Welcome to Wild+Wanderful!  I’m Katy.
Momma. Wife. West Virginian.
Designer. 
Dreamer. Coffee Consumer.
DIY-er. 
Craft Beer Enthusiast.
Purple Obsessor. Lover of Handmade.

MILDLY WILD. MOSTLY WANDERFUL.

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