The "Accidental Bridesmaid" Dress ~ Diane's Vintage Zest!

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!

-DSC02346


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.  :)

-DSC02347

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.

-DSC02349

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?




22 comments:

  1. I made my teenage daughter some darling, perfectly fitted high waisted shorts (kind of sailor style) and my husband's response was, "Those are funny." When I glared at him, he said, "But not in a bad way." Really??

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  2. OH, the sewing machine and I have an ongoing war. Things never look the way I want them too.

    Heidi’s
    Wanderings

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  3. Ugh. Total ouch moment! I'm sure they were perfectly beautiful shorts. :)

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  4. Ha! Sometimes we have a truce, but it's a tense one for sure, between Paisley (my machine) and me. :)

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  5. This is gorgeous! Love the colour, style, everything. I'm one of the co-hosts for this weeks 'I Love My Post Blog Hop' which is how I found your fabulous blog :D

    Your newest follower :D

    Louise x

    Confessions of a Secret Shopper

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  6. Aw, shucks! Thanks for following. I'll give your blog a little peek now!

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  7. I actually wore a bridesmaids dress made out of this fabric and it definitely had its flaws too. Luckily, since the fabric has a natural wrinkle to it, everything looks like it was meant to be there!

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  8. I guess my guy was right that it looks like a bridesmaid dress then! :)

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  9. That looks really fabulous! Such a great color. I don't think it looks flawed at all! :)

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  10. Aww - I like the color! =) Thanks for linking up at this week's Pinterest Power Party! Have a great evening!

    Danielle

    SewMuchCrafting.com

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  11. This dress looks so hard to make! I think you did great! It actually looks like the bridesmaid dress I wore YEARS back. Saw on A Glimpse Inside. :)
    Gina @ Gina's Craft Corner
    http://ginascraftcorner.blogspot.com

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  12. Hahaha I can't even count the number of times I hopefully wore something new for Mr. Cation, only to be semi-crushed by his unintentionally bad-sounding comments! And then even though I liked the ___ to begin with, I can never think of it the same way ever again. I do really like that burgundy color for a dress, though; it strikes me as luxurious and formal (which might explain the bridesmaidy-ness?).

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  13. My guy was right then! Maybe I should just make my bridesmaids' dresses when the time comes then. :)

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  14. Whew! I'm glad to know that I'm not the only one deflated by the half-compliment. :) I can't decide if this dress needs to be refashioned or just needs some styling help so I don't look like I belong to a wedding party. Thanks for visiting!

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  15. They always manage to say the wrong thing somehow eh? And they don't realise they've done it either. I love the colour but would need to see it on to get a better idea.

    Thanks for linking up!

    Sarah
    http://acatlikecuriosity.blogspot.co.uk

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  16. Totally true! I forgive him though because on days when I'm feeling particularly icky with glasses and wearing sweats, he thinks I'm cute. It definitely balances out. :)

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  17. Wow!! The dress looks amazing! Great job! Thanks so much for sharing with us again at Thursday's Temptation. Your link got the most views again cute lady so I will be featuring it at tonights link party!!
    Jill

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  18. Awesome! I think it was the funny title of my post that got everyone clicking over to find out the story behind it. :) Thanks!

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  19. Thank you! The nice comments are starting to outweigh the initial bridesmaid comment, finally. :)

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  20. Well done! Thank you for sharing with the Clever Chicks Blog Hop this week!

    Cheers,
    Kathy Shea Mormino
    The Chicken Chick
    http://www.The-Chicken-Chick.com

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  21. Thanks so much for sharing at Krafty Inspiration Thursday! I will be featuring this dress at tomorrow's party. Have a lovely weekend!
    Maria @ Krafty Cards etc.
    http://kraftycardsetc.blogspot.com/

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I love to hear your comments! And putting in your two cents is always free. :)

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