When one posts a third dress post in a row, one must admit to oneself that one is no longer classified as “not a dress person.”
This was the dress I wanted to make myself last Christmas, but I was too pregnant to handle figuring out how to work for maternity. Instead, I made my daughter a velvet dress, and myself a velvet t-shirt and didn’t blog either because hashtag-too-pregnant. So here I am NOT pregnant, and living all the velvet wrap dress dreams.
Also, I’m freezing my butt off. However, when your husband is willing, and there is beautiful snow covering your weedy gardens, you toss on the dress, and squirt some dry shampoo in your hair and say, yes-honey-yes-now-is-perfect-yes-that-looks-fine-I’m-cold-that’s-good-we’re-done. phew.
Also, I wish I could have recorded six-year-old Gladys hamming it up behind Andy, striking her best “blogger pose” to make fun of my feeble modeling in the snow attempts. She is a riot.
There isn’t much to report on the construction itself. I used the Cashmerette Appleton pattern, which I have sewn before. I lengthened the skirt and the sleeves to give it a more formal look. In fact, I cut them a generous length and fussed with pinning the hems until I found a length that looked “right”. I didn’t want to have to muslin my tweaks because I knew the pattern was rock solid.
I must say I love that this pattern is a true wrap dress, because it is both easy to nurse in and also easy to adjust the fit, as my weight does whatever it is doing while I nurse my way through baby Edna’s first year.
However, I highly recommend sensible undergarment choices when wearing a wrap dress. Especially if you are wearing said dress around babies or obnoxious two-year olds. I was by both during our Christmas Eve mass, and I was grateful for my prudential choice to wear a half slip.
Cashmerette Appleton Wrap Dress in Stretch Velvet
- Pattern: Appleton Wrap Dress by Cashmerette
- Fabric: Navy Blue 4-way Stretch Velvet from Cali Fabrics
- Measurements: Height – 5’10”, Bust – 43 inches, High Bust– 39, Waist – 43 inches, Hips – 51 inches
- Size/Adjustments
- I used size 18, graded out to a size 24 in the hips.
- I added 5 inches to the skirt length to have it hit below the knee.
- To adjust the sleeves, I added 1/2″ to the bicep width and lengthened it 2 inches to make it long sleeve, but then I hemmed it up to the bracelet length shown by removing 5 3/8 inches.
A classic silhouette, in a luxurious fabric, made with a tried-and-true pattern is just about the trifecta of sewing perfection. Isn’t it?
You are BEAUTIFUL! This blue is so pretty it catches the light perfectly & you shine like a star.
Ooh so pretty!
This looks gorgeous on you – the color is lovely!
Just gorgeous!!
Gorgeous appleton! Love the colour, the material, the fit!
Really pretty! I just love wrap dresses for nursing access. Dresses seem to suit you!
Lovely! I do love those pieces that accommodate weight fluctuations!
Yes, you definitely had a win in the world of sewing with this lovely lovely frock 😉 Great pattern choice, great fabric choice, great color choice, perfectly seasonal… I don’t think you could have done this any better! I hope you are as proud of you as I am to know you! I have battled with velvet before and it’s no cakewalk, so kudos for the hole in one!!
A definite win indeed! What a stunning dress! I am sorry I laughed out loud about how this dress combines with babies and obnoxious two year olds
Beautiful and set off so elegantly in that snowy background. What family fun that must have been!
What a beautiful satisfying make! Enjoy!
Stunning.
I loved your photo on IG as soon as I saw it. I rushed out and bought the pattern and a dark green stretch velvet to make it in. Then I remembered I have a terrible fear of my serger and haven’t taken it out of it’s box in the year I have owned it. I guess the time is right to work out how it works. You look beautiful in your dress.