Happy Wednesday All! Despite the challenges we are faced with and the Coronavirus pandemic affecting all of us, there is always something positive to smile about. It took over a month to shoot this dress but the bonding moment I had with my children was worth every single shot. These photos will hold a special place in my heart as it was not a regular shoot but a family experience of laughter and joy in a closed shopping plaza with my pair despite being on lock down.
I am super proud that I made a maxi dress, one out of the six looks from my inspiration board. Even though my goal was to complete all 6 looks in the first quarter of 2019, I am extending it until the end of summer. We have to learn to adjust to the changes we are faced with each day!
I actually have been wanting to make this dress for a few years now and doubted myself due to the lack of experience and skills.
When I came across McCalls M8009 bodice, I knew it was perfect to make it. This was pretty much identical to the inspiration and I knew I had to find the perfect fabric to create it.
I loved the jumpsuit pattern so much I made it 3 times (here and here) and immediately made plans to reuse the pattern and make the inspiration dress.
I came across this beautiful Ankara fabric from a small business – Afriqueclothingstore based in Texas. When I reached out to her, she shared so many different fabrics that would make my inspiration dress. I purchased about 18 yards of fabric and was gifted with 3 yards of this fabric from the store with intentions of making a top. I realized that I did not have enough so I purchased an additional 9 yards of this beauty to make the dress.
The maxi dress was pretty easy to sew due to the fact that I made the bodice 3 times prior. For the bodice due to pattern placement, I used 3 yards of fabric and the same 3 yards for the simple gathered skirt. The front of the skirt has a center seam which brings both patterns together.
For this creation, it took me a few days to cut as I honestly carefully mapped out the placement of each pattern piece and fabric. Spending time to map out every single placement was so worth showcasing the beauty of this fabric. My beautiful daughter Arielle created a YOUTUBE video and my son did all the photos.
I am so proud of the fact that my children truly enjoy shooting my photos for my blog and I really don’t need a professional photographer to capture my makes.
Thanks for reading and be sure to check out my Instagram highlights and IGTV with all the tips and tricks when making this bodice. Take care and be sure to stop by my Instagram page to check out my latest makes including my March Fabricmart post.
One Love, Marica