The Jessica Dress

I finally made the SewSewDef Jessica Dress!!!!! I'm so in LOVE with this pattern!

I mean who doesn't love a good sweetheart neckline? I've always loved them, but this was my first time sewing one. I'm happy to report that it wasn't difficult. I love, love, love that Mimi G did a video tutorial for this one. It was very easy to follow along, and although it had a lot of steps (which meant it took a while to make), everything was very straightforward and I didn't have many hiccups along the way. I think the only real issue I had was with one REALLY stubborn button hole that I had to re-do 3 times.

It was a very sunny day when we took these pics, so please excuse my eyes being closed in most of them lol. But let's talk about my modifications to the pattern. I only made a few. I shortened the straps by about 2 inches. I also topstitched around the bodice because the facing kept popping up. I decided to go with inseam pockets instead of patch pockets and I placed them 3 inches down from the top of the skirt. They ended up being in the perfect spot for me to comfortably put my hands in my pockets, so I'm very pleased with that. I went with 6 buttons on the bodice (didn't want any peek-a-boo boobage lol) and 8 buttons on the skirt.

When I first decided to make this dress I was nervous because I saw that it had gathering around the waist, which I usually try to avoid because it makes me feel fat. But I saw so many makes of this dress on Instagram and it looked so good on so many different body types that I figured I may as well give it a shot. I'm so glad I did!!! I also don't usually go for midi-length, but since I'm so short it ended up slightly longer than midi-length which I like. I am DYING to make this in a maxi-length now though!

The fabric for this dress is from JoAnn's. It's a pretty lightweight cotton. I think I got it on clearance, but it was awhile ago so i don't really remember.

I like how versatile the dress is. It can be dressed up or down depending on what you wear with it. I really like how it looks with a belt and some flirty shoes.

My favorite part about this dress is definitely the bodice. I can see myself making it again and again. I may lengthen it and make a top, or pair it with a pencil skirt. There are so many possibilities!

I can see this pattern looking awesome in an African wax print, so you may be seeing that in the very near future! Thanks for stopping by the blog!