dress design for shabby apple dresses

shabby apple's hosting a dress design competition for its spring line. with some encouragement from my sister, miss m., and mr. pike, i decided to come up with a dress design for Shabby Apple dresses.

as part of my submission, here are some details about my design inspiration and fabric choice.

DESIGN INSPIRATION: so why this dress? after baby girl was born five months ago, i was ready to box the maternity clothes up and welcome back my old wardrobe favorites. i was especially excited to wear my summer dresses. little did i realize then that even when you lose the baby weight, your body can be completely different from your pre-pregnancy self.

when i began trying on my dress collection, i was either a little too busty or my baby pooch was a little too visible. i longed for a dress i could easily wear before and after pregnancies -- and maybe even for a bit during pregnancy.

that's where this design was born. i wanted something super flexible -- a simple tunic-type dress that can grow and shrink with your body. the sash creates a waist -- and you can wear it high or low depending on what you want to accentuate or hide. (i went for a little higher than my natural waist to hide my belly -- so i look thinner!)

the sleeves are very structured -- to give the design a polished look. i pleated the sleeve and then added a band to finish it off. (with any other sleeve, it may have just looked like a sack with a sash.)

i cut a square neck because i think it's a very flattering neckline that isn't used as often as a round or scoop neck. and then added some fabric flowers around part of the neck to give the dress a point of interest and uniqueness.

COLOR/FABRIC IDEAS: i love this vibrant fabric i found. it reminds me of watermelon, cotton candy, and sherbet all in one. spring brings new life to the earth -- and i think our spring wardrobe should be no different. be bright, be bold. (now some may say, "this fabric is too bold for me." i thought the same thing even after i started sewing. but, it turned out great. i think most everyone could wear such bold colors.)

i also liked the wavy vertical stripe -- i think the stripes make you look leaner and longer, yet the waviness of the pattern helps disguise and camouflage. i like cottons for this dress -- it's a perfect spring fabric. and cotton will give the design the structure it needs it without compromising on the flowy movement. you could also use a silk or a knit -- but the sleeves may need to be altered a bit to accommodate those fabrics.

here are a few more pictures to showcase my design.

ps - thank you, mr. pike, for being my photographer and cheerleader. and for making time for me to work on my dress.