Hi there lovely blog readers! Well it's official, I'm OBSESSED WITH FLORALS!!! Almost half of everything I've sewn since this year has been floral print. I think I'm subconsciously going for a whole wardrobe - Bomber jacket - check! Mini skirt - check! Maxi skirt - check! Dress - check! And it doesn't stop here - you should see my fabric stash! :) 



A couple thoughts on my first version of the Belladone dress:

THE FABRIC! It is my personal philosophy to make the first version of any pattern (that you plan to do multiples of) with a busy print that can easily hide mistakes. Not saying this version is full of mistakes or anything, but if it was, you couldn't really tell! The floral print is so bright and happy -  it has most of my favorite colors in it! This fabric also has spandex, which means the fit is forgiving, and I was even able to omit the zipper!! Yay :) Even though this is a polyester (which some do not go for) I really love it - the weight, drape, and stretch are just perfect and I would buy more in different prints if they had it! :)


THE PATTERN! In the past I have made three Deer and Doe patterns (Chardon skirt - unblogged, Plantain Tee, and Sureau Dress) This Belladone dress definitely had the best fit so far! Love the back cutout, pockets, and waistband. I was worried about gaping issues with the back as mentioned by other bloggers,and that D&D is designed for a C cup, not a B cup, but I had no issues with this! The only change I made to the pattern was significant length addition to the skirt (probably 4 inches?). While the waistband hits perfectly at my natural waist, it still is proportionally high (thanks long torso) and I think the extra length keeps it from looking like a dress that was made for a shorter person. I also think the longer length adds a lady like sophistication - ooh la la.


Here are the details:

Pattern: Deer and Doe Belladone Dress

Fabric: Poly/Spandex Sateen Packed Flower Multi Bottomweight - Joann Fabrics

Notions: thread, one pack single fold bias tape (pre-made) in Bright Pink :)

Sizing / Alterations: 38 - bust, 42 - waist, 46 - hips

Construction Notes: 

- Added a good 4" in length to the skirt, perhaps a bit more to the back skirt
- Bias tape, which is not usually my favorite finishing method, was GREAT to use on this pattern! Finished the back cutout, neckline, and armholes with it
- Omitted zipper, due to fabric stretch
- Insides are finished with a serger
- Widened back skirt darts a bit to even up with waistband before attaching - not sure where that error happened but this seemed to be a quick fix to the problem
- Due to the nature of this fabric, I attempted a narrow hem: serge, turn and stitch, turn again and top-stitch - not entirely happy with the result but I'm not sure how else to handle a fabric that's not very press-able. Any suggestions??

Narrow hem from the inside
Back cutout inside view - PINK! :)

The Verdict: I'm really happy with how this turned out! The back cutout is everything I dreamed it would be :) Still not totally sure about the fit, due to the spandex in the fabric making everything fit wonderfully like a knit! I am excited to try it in a non-stretchy woven... I already have the perfect fabric in the queue: Maritime Club Fabric - Shirting Navy and White - 100% Cotton - Joann Fabrics. It is amazingly soft and I cannot get enough of the tiny stripe! They also have it in white and red if you're interested ;)

OH, and I decided last minute... belated, even, to join Me Made May 2014! You can follow my daily looks on Instagram and I will do a couple of round up posts here on the blog as well :) I'm excited to see how I do compared to last year (only 4/week) and what gets worn most! You can bet you will see this dress in the line-up :)

Thanks to the cutie on the right for taking these photos for me! ;)

ALSO anyone notice how this photo looks kind of photo-shopped? Actually it isn't touched up at all (only cropped), but when blogger uploads it, it changes it to this - WHY???? Anyone else have this issue? Is the internet automatically editing our photos now? Help!

EDIT: PROBLEM SOLVED!!! SEE OONABALLOONA's comment below - THANK YOU!!!!!!
Don't we look so normal and real now? Lol :)

This dress was made as part of SSW 2014, hosted by the lovely Rachel of Imagine Gnats. Check out all the projects on the Kollabora page!