Dressing Up in My Little Black Dress - The Winter Wear Designs Magnolia

Every girl needs a little black dress (or a few) hanging in her closet, right? Well, I decided that for my day on the Winter Wear Designs "Deck the Closet" blog tour, I would go ahead and add a new dress to my closet. The fabulous thing about a basic black dress is the ability to dress it up or down depending on how you accessorize it.

I am blogging on how to use a Winter Wear Designs pattern for formal/dressy wear. She has a couple of patterns that are actually intended for formal wear, and I do intend to try them, but things have been crazy for me lately, and I didn't feel like I had time for a super time-consuming project this month. As you have probably gathered, I'm a fan of sewing knit fabrics. They just go together so quickly and easily. Since they're stretchy, you can avoid the need for closures (which are nice, but take more time).

So, because I love fairly quick, satisfying projects, I chose to use a pattern I've actually blogged on before - the Winter Wear Designs Magnolia. And, while I've used this pattern before, this version is SO different. I love having a pattern that I can make several times without it looking like I just keep sewing the same thing over and over again.

These are both made from the same pattern - two different looks! If you're interested in my first Magnolia (the striped sweater) see it here https://custommadebylaura.blogspot.com/2018/09/from-inspiration-to-creation-magnolia.html

This Pattern:

I love the versatility of this pattern! It can be made in top or dress length, with a cowl neck, v-neck, or scoop neck. It can be made into a comfortable, yet dressy item, or a comfortable and cozy sweater. There are cut lines for two dress lengths (knee length or above the knee).

You can sew it quite a few times without getting tired of it.

Why I Chose This:

It took me a few days to decide which pattern I wanted to use for this blog tour. I was trying to decide between something fun and casual, or something dressy/ formal. But then I started thinking... I've worn the same dress to Christmas parties three years in a row. I love the dress, but I apparently needed something new .😉 So dressy it would be. Then I looked at Suzanne's two patterns that I would consider to be formal wear. These are the Bateau Garden Dress and the Crop Dress. Both patterns look lovely, and I actually purchased the Bateau Garden Dress recently on a $3 Thursday sale... I can't wait to sew it! But... It wasn't exactly what I had in mind. I have had this black liverpool fabric for probably a year and a half. It needed to become something! I love my Magnolia sweater so much, I was sure that I would like a Magnolia dress too. With the right fabric, I was certain that it would look dressy enough. And, I think it does. 🙂

Changes/ Modifications I made to the pattern:

As I mentioned, this pattern has a few neckline options (scoop, v-neck, or cowl neck). I already made the cowl sweater, and while I LOVE it, I knew I didn't want to use the cowl neck for this. I wanted something I could wear a necklace with. I personally don't love deep scoop necks because I like to feel covered all the time, so I just raised the neckline a little bit. I just moved the neckline to where I thought I would like it and then tried it on before attaching the neckband. I was happy with the neckline, so I measured the neckhole used 85% of the length for the new neckband. It was perfect!

The only other modification I made was a broad shoulder adjustment. I've mentioned before that I need this with some of Suzanne's patterns to get my perfect fit. It's easy to do and makes a HUGE difference in the fit for me. 🙂

Nursing Friendly?

Okay so this is SUPER important for me. I have a toddler I'm still nursing several times a day, and I want to make sure that I can nurse in whatever I'm wearing easily enough. This fabric is liverpool from Fabric.com. It is 96% polyester and 4% lycra. It is pretty stretchy, and does pull down for nursing access. So while this dress is not specifically a "nursing" dress, if your fabric is stretchy enough it'll work!

Quick Sew!

Have I mentioned that I love projects that I can put together quickly? This one probably takes around an hour to make! You can't beat that when you're short on time!

Sale:

Did you notice Suzanne is having a sale this week for Black Friday 2018? She's having a couple of sales actually, and you're not going to want to miss out. I honestly haven't tried a Winter Wear Designs pattern that I haven't loved, so you'll want to stock up while they're discounted! 😉

Thank you so much for reading my post! If you don't already, come follow me on Instagram. I use it to share my creations and tell about new blog posts. I'm also on Pinterest. I would also love for you to subscribe to my blog so that you can be notified of new posts when I make them! 💗💗

(Disclosure: I have included my affiliate links to Winter Wear Designs Patterns throughout this post)

Be sure to check out all of the other stops on the Deck the Closet Blog Tour:

Get inspired to deck your own closet with all these inspirational posts!!!

11/19

An of Flax Field Sewing

Diane of Sewing With D

11/20

Livia of Liviality

Rachel of Violet and Jewels

Lisa of Mabey She Made It

11/21

Gwen of Crafty Curly Couture