Woven Wrap Dress - Possibly the most out there thing I've ever made!!!!!!!

I often describe my fashion sense as out there , but even I did a lil twitch when  I put this dress on and said to myself "Is this a bit much??????"

I mean that is a fabric and a half. I got it from the abakhans fill a bag sale. 

I found it in the bottom of the box held it up and said to my mum "is this hideous or fabulous" and she said she had no idea so I put it in my bag and took it home. 

The background is stripes and the foreground is HUGE flowers in all different colours!!!!!

Its a bit of a go big or go home sort of print. So I opted to make a maxi dress. I was hoping for the sort of thing that I could wear swanning down a beach in the Maldives, not that I'll be swanning off to the Maldives any time soon! 

The pattern started out life as the bodice for a prima dress. I them hacked it half to death to make it into a wrap bodice and added a long skirt with a curved front hem. 

The bodice is fully lined which is good because wrap dresses can sometimes flap open around the ol boob area. 

The waist tie is from a piece of stash fabric. I decided I needed a solid colour for the tie just to make sure that you could see clearly that it was a wrap dress. Plus I think its helpful to have something break up that crazy riot of colour!!!! 

Fit wise , its okay. It did fit better but I've lost some weight recently so its not as good anymore.

Also I did gathers instead of darts because I thought it might give me the blousey look I was going for but now I'm wondering what it might look like darted instead. 

I love the length but I wish the curved front hem was a bit more obvious and it showed more leg when I'm stood still. at the minute this looks fabulous walking but you can't even see my legs if I stand still. 

I do love that I can wear it with my brown wedges though!!!!! 

To be honest whilst the idea of unpicking it all makes me want to cry, I do think its the best thing to do because there's a lot of things I'd like to tweak on it. 

I suppose that's the only downside of hacking a pattern , very often its not quite perfect and you have to keep going until you get it right!!!! 

Construction wise all of the inside seams were done on my over locker and I just used my regular sewing machine for the hems and for top stitching around the neckline.

All in all I really like the dress. Its one of those items that just makes me happy wearing it. I mean how could I not be happy when I'm wearing that many colours!!!!!! 

There's a bit more work to do to it and even if I do get it close to perfect I'm not sure I'll ever have anywhere suitable to wear it...... But HEY HO! I love it so I know I'll end up wearing it at some point. Even if its just for a trip to home and bargains in the summer! 

In other news!!!!! 

I've been busy with work and looking after lil man!

I've been out in the garden and I'm hoping to have it looking respectable soon. At least if this awful weather ever lets up. 

My sketch book arrived!! And I started doing some work in it only to find the paper is more suited to pencils rather than mixed media. Long story short I have a new one on order and yet again I can't wait to get started!!!!

I have been sewing but I seen to be slowing down a bit with my makes recently and only working on things I know I'll love and wear to death!!!

Much Love

Frankie 

Fully Recycled Maxi Dress.

I'll start off by saying this dress is completely recycled. The denim for the bustier came from a pair of Rikkis old jeans, the main skirt material came from an old maxi dress, the d rings came from an old handbag and the rest of the skirt panels are from various tops that I don't wear any more.  

I split the main maxi dress material into four and added godets made from the tops, this means the skirt is really swishy! I also added a solid band to the bottom of the skirt (off cut from another dress) to tie the whole skirt together.

Pattern wise, i used the corset top pattern from the gbsb book fashion with fabric, however this time it came out really big on me so I might have to retrace a smaller size in the pattern. really I should have completely taken it in but I couldn't be bothered so I just added a halter neck via some d rings. At least this way i have growing room should I choose to grow. 

There's no pictures of the back sorry, I forgot to change into a strapless bra and all you can see from the back is my bright pink bra straps. Not attractive!. 

The skirts semi sheer and I've not lined it, so I'm just wearing it with one of my many slips! {honestly slips are the most useful thing ever! I've got a white skirt one a black skirt one, a purple long skirt one {used here} and a black full slip, next on my wish list is a nude one!}

Can you tell I love the skirt? All in all I'm feeling pretty meh about it as a whole but I do love the swishy skirt, even if you can't really see it on the pictures.

I didn't really bother hemming the skirt, I just used the overcast foot and a overcast stitch. I was going to do a small hem but it drags on the floor [as all maxi dresses should] and I hated the idea of a hem I worked hard on getting all frayed and stuff!

I got photo bombed as I took these! Apparently it was his turn!

He even started turning like I do!

So all in all I'm not calling it a success because I don't LOVE it . And I'm reaching the point where I want to LOVE everything in my wardrobe. That said I can see me wearing it n the summer and if I go on holiday, on the beach sans slip {but with bikini bottoms obvs!}

And just for kicks here's a throwback of me wearing the original dress to an 18th birthday party many moons ago.

Look how short my hair was!

Look how socially awkward I look, trying to join in whilst simultaneously wanting to go home and have a brew.

There's not really much I can say other than that! I had a terrible time, I didn't know anyone and the only reason I stayed is because my mother said she wouldn't pick me up and I didn't want to ruin my new heels. 

 Yeah I don't do well in social situations!

Much Love 

Frankie 

xxx