Happy Wacky Wednesday! I’m coming in with an extra blog post this week so I can tell you guys about this super fun dress pattern, which is on sale for ONE DOLLAR today. Yep, that’s right. ONE DOLLAR.
I first learned about Ellie & Mac Patterns when I was pregnant. They offer so many great patterns for knit fabrics, many of which could accommodate a baby bump without many modifications. I have been happy with each of their patterns that I’ve made, and have always loved the weekly promotion that they run over on their website. Each week on “Wacky Wednesdays”, they choose a handful of patterns to promote and offer to their customers for only $1. Today, this lovely dress is one of those great patterns!
The “Be Dreamy” Dress pattern offers a couple of different options, including two lengths of flutter sleeves (I opted for the shorter of the two), two necklines (I went low!) and two hem shapes (high-low, or maxi length). I chose to make the maxi skirt as described in the pattern instructions. The pattern specifically states that it is drafted for a 5’5” wearer, and although I am 5’5”, i didn’t add the recommended length for my 5’8” frame because I was hoping to end up with a maxi that hit somewhere around my ankle. (If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts about sewing my own full length maxi dresses that actually work for my height, this might seem a bit odd. I don’t actually know why all of a sudden an ankle length maxi sounded appealing to me, but it did, so I rode with it!) I was surprised at where it fell, given the fact that I added 3” to another of their maxi patterns last year and still found the dress to fall a bit short on me (but thinking back… I was pregnant. So maybe it will be better now without the belly!)
This was a bit of a different silhouette for me! I loved the way it looked in photos, so I was excited to try it out for myself. I usually prefer patterns that are very fitted through the bodice, specifically at the waist – I have found that this accentuates some of the things that I like best about my shape. This dress, however, has some really cool style lines going on at the waist, which curves up towards the bust from the sides. Because it doesn’t sit the way I normally prefer, I was so tempted to try to style this with a belt of some sort, to cinch in and accentuate my waist, but I realized I’d really be letting that cool style line get lost that way – so here I am, letting that waistline have a total moment.
I loved the details of this pattern. Some of my favorites are the flutter sleeves, the POCKETS (because what girl doesn’t love a dress with some great pockets??), and the bodice lining. Of course, when I wear the dress, no one sees my bodice lining. But thanks to a really well-coordinated lining fabric, this bad boy looks great on and off the hanger!
Speaking of fabrics, the main double brushed poly used for this dress is from Knit Pop. I made a pretty sizable purchase from them last summer, with the idea that I’d make a ton of mama & mini matching sets. However, I failed to think about the fact that I’d primarily chosen bright, summer floral prints, and my girl would be arriving at the very tail end of autumn, heading into winter. I went ahead and used some of the fabrics for bump-friendly dresses last summer, and held onto the rest for this year. I’m so happy to finally be using this gorgeous floral! I didn’t have quite enough fabric to do my lining the same as my main, and I’m so glad for that happy accident. I had some yellow striped cotton jersey leftover from my Rosalinda Top that I made with StyleMaker Fabrics in March, and I love the way it paired with the teal floral!
Get your hands on this pattern today! I’ve provided my affiliate link in the information below – I’d love if you’d consider purchasing the pattern through my link! Fair warning, if you do, I get a small bonus into my account to use towards my own future pattern purchases! Either way, it is A DOLLAR and you certainly won’t be able to buy anything cooler than this for a dollar today!
Dress: handmade by me
Pattern: Ellie & Mac – Be Dreamy Dress
Fabric: Knit Pop – White Blossoms on Jade Double Brushed Poly Spandex (now sold out)
Key Ingredients: Heat & Bond Soft Stretch (Lite)
Though the pattern used in this post was generously provided to me by the awesome team at Ellie & Mac Patterns, all opinions expressed are my own, as always!
- XX Elizabeth
