Long wrap skirts have become a favorite garment. You can make them to fit, but with some creative safety pinning you can change them to fit you at any point in life. That's not the most glamorous point of view, considering I also enjoy the tailoring of men's shirts and couture hand-finishings, but sometimes a safety pin is all you need. And we should admit that, mmm?
I made this dress for a family wedding. The bodice, from Vogue 8633, is made of some upholstery fabric that I found and loved at my local fabric store. The navy print I purchased in Utah while visiting my in-laws, and the coral satin underlay I bought locally on clearance.
Since the upholstery fabric is so thick, I didn't interface any of the bodice. It stands up well on its own, and can be molded into different shapes at the neckline. I prefer it curved down a little bit.
As part of my design, I chose to extend the back bodice around to the front and secure it with buttons on an angle, so that the bodice matches the wrap of the skirt. This also kept me from worrying about a zipper. It's lined, and the sleeves are bound in bias tape.
When attaching the skirt to the bodice, I used an inch allowance on the skirt so I could wrap the raw edges of the bodice. Though it thickened the layers there a bit, I'd rather have that than scratchy edges.
Something I've contemplated is pinning up parts of the skirt to asymmetrically raise the hem, to make it friendly for warm weather. The family wedding was outside, and this Tennessee September cooperated - it was actually a bit chilly! So, a maxi dress was just right for the temperature and breeze.
Anyway, this is my most recent make! Not too difficult, not too easy. Somewhere right between.
