Monday, May 12, 2014

A dress for red shoes.


Before Easter a sweet friend gifted me with a pair of adorable red shoes.  She knew that I'd admired the shoes, and went and picked them out for me.  I tell you, she's a gem, a wonderful person, and when a wonderful person gives you red shoes, of course you have to make a dress to match them!  This dress is an out of print Butterick pattern (B5316).  The fabric is a sateen cotton from Hancocks fabrics.  
I was really unsure about the fit and overall look of the dress but after letting Hanni screen the pictures I felt much better about it.  Does anyone else have that problem...you look at your sewn garment for so long and can't decide if you like it or not?

I had to tweak the fit of the dress especially the box pleats on the front of the skirt.  I didn't find them entirely flattering so I converted them to pleats that point toward the center of the dress.  I read in one of my pattern fitting books that those pleats are much kinder to the abdomen than box pleats.  I also took some length off of the bodice as well. 

I am adding this dress to the Project Sewn sewalong pool.  I think it fits the "floral frenzy" theme quite well!

19 comments:

  1. Great dress. I love the belt with it. :)

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  2. This looks great on you and you did a super job on it. Flattering and stylish. The fabric seems familiar.?. Love it. Mom

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    1. Thanks Momma! And yes, I had to go back and get that fabric! Ha ha!

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  3. Ps. Love love red shoes. Tell your friend "she done good". jma

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  4. What a nice friend!! Your dress is perfect and looks fantastic with your new shoes. Yes,seeing myself in pictures always helps me decide if I like a make.

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    1. Thanks Margo! What sweet compliments! Taking the pictures is always my tried and true test for an outfit!

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  5. I think every woman should have a pair of red shoes. So glad you found the perfect pattern and fabric to make a dress that goes with the shoes!

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    1. I agree Cynthia, every woman should have a pair of red shoes in her closet, and thank you for stopping by our blog!

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  6. red shoes are the PERFECT excuse to sew a pretty dress! I love it!

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    1. I completely agree Nicole...its a must! Thanks for stopping by our blog! We really appreciate yours!

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  7. Pretty dress! love the pop of red :)

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  8. LOVE IT! I haven't even looked at the others yet, but I'm voting for this one. LOVE black and white and red.

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  9. It looks super gorgeous on you!! I've made a jacket once and it took ages. I'm still very proud on finishing it, but I rarely wear it because I don't think it looks too flattering.

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    1. Thanks for such a sweet compliment! It always helps me if I'm unsure if something's flattering to hear a friend's opinion. Thanks for stopping by our blog!

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  10. It's unbelievable, I like your style and dress, and I think we must have a common hobby.
    First of all, this dress looks very conspicuous, as well as the present popular trend, appear very fashionable and young.
    formal dresses australia

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