The "Accidental Bridesmaid" Dress

There's a story behind the name of this dress, but I'll get to that in a minute.

You may remember that I was sooo in love with the orange maxi dress I made last year that I decided to make it again in a shorter length.  Since it didn't need any adjustments the first time, I figured that it would be a quick project!


As you know, I've been a bit slow to sew up a few UFO's (including my blue lace dress), which I cut waaay back in January (the last picture is the fabric for this dress)!

I had a bit of time a few weekends ago, so I was finally able to sew up this dress.  I was a little unsure of what length to go with, especially since I wanted at least one modest dress, length-wise, in my wardrobe this summer.  I put it on for some advice, and my guy said, "It kind of looks like a bridesmaid dress."  NOT what I wanted to hear, even if he didn't mean it as an insult.

I hemmed it a bit shorter, and although it's better, I don't think I'll see this quite the same.  It probably won't be too bad once it is styled and in a cute outfit.  However, we'll see if this ever makes it out of my closet!

First off, I used Simplicity 3503 for my pattern.  The fabric I used was from the swap meet for initially $1/yard, but I remember bargaining for a bit less.  Same for the black stretch lining fabric.  All in all, this dress is probably in the range of $3 to $5!

There are a few flaws that I don't mind sharing.  For whatever reason, the top part of the bodice did not call for a lining, and although I cut it anyways, I didn't include it in the final dress.  Slight mistake, but I suppose I could always add it in later.


Mistake number two is the lining peeking out of the dress in the back.  It's a quick fix, but I couldn't tell where it was sticking out exactly until it was on Lily.  Although the left part of the hem looks wonky in this picture, it's actually okay in real life.  :)

On the upside, I worked with this sheer fabric before with a terrible fail, but this time I totally felt more comfortable!  The gathering was much more even under the bust, this time around, now that I  can handle the technique a bit better.

It's not the most favorite dress I've ever sewn, but it's not bad overall.  I may go back and do a couple of nips and tucks in the future, but for now, it's sitting in my closet waiting for an appropriate outing.  At the very least, I'll be ready to be in someone's wedding party!

What's the worst thing anyone has said about one of your garments?