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Hello! I'm Suzannah, a serious DIYer and mom of two little ones. Follow along with my DIY fixer upper house renovations, sewing and crafty projects, real food recipes, and de-stressing goals.
I believe you can love your home just the way it is, AND have the power to design and make big changes to make it better.
I'm also the author of DIY Wardrobe Makeovers!

New fave dress? Chic and Kate Spade-inspired

Oooh, I'm excited about this one. I saw this Kate Spade dress sometime last spring and pinned it right away to my dresses board. How fun, right? Like a peplum, but on the hem!



They also had this one, such a fun color. Well, all Kate Spade colors are pretty great. But I loved this one, too!



But, I already had some nice navy twill, 100% cotton and a great weight for dresses. A friend gave me quite a few yards of it a while back and I love it; navy is one of my fave colors and I love being able to make myself things in sort of more basic colors, like a lot of the clothes that I wear and then accessorize with brighter things.

Anyway, I wanted to copy the navy dress, and luckily had an 8-year-old Simplicity pattern that was just right for the bodice! I'm sure it's out of print now, but Simplicity 4531 had almost the exact bodice I wanted. I think I just trimmed down the neckline a little, and definitely some in the back.

For the skirt I used a basic pencil skirt pattern, but cut it short, and then put a big ruffle on the bottom. Simple! Here it is.

Fun, eh??

What should I wear it with? I'm thinking a bright belt would be fun! Or cardi?? What shoes, oooh...?!?

48 comments

  1. That is gorgeous!

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  2. I love how well all of your dresses fit you. I really struggle with getting that right. This is a beautiful dress and it looks like it's easier to walk in than a typical pencil skirt.

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  3. This is one of my favorites of yours! It turned out so cute and looks really good on you. I think I need to make myself one. Thanks for always sharing the pattern details :)

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  4. Wow - I LOVE this dress! It's really beautiful. I think you can mix it with yellow shoes, gold accessories or any color really - red, white, orange or even green.

    The pattern you used is really cute - do they have anything similar in print?

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    1. Thanks for the ideas!! I'm sure there's something similar in print but you can also find out of print patterns on Etsy sometimes...

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    2. Or, you could get a similar look with this http://mccallpattern.mccall.com/m5094-products-5064.php?page_id=108 or this, cut off at the waist http://butterick.mccall.com/b5761-products-22659.php?page_id=155.

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  5. Very cute!! What a great way to add style to a simple dress.

    A cardigan and/or accessories in yellow, red, or green would be great when you want to brighten it up. (I particularly like navy with Kelly green at the moment.) Grey shoes would be nice as well.

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  6. Cute! Wouldn't it also look great if the peplum part was pleated? Adding to my to-sew list...

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  7. WOW it looks 10 times better than the Kate Spade version! And you look 10 times more fabulous than those models! I'm very impressed.

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  8. Yours is even cuter than the original! On the KS version the ruffle starts too high and the skirt isn't fitted enough. Yours is tailored so much better!

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  9. Wow! I love this dress too! Awesome job with fit and totally nailing the style of the original. Really great!

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  10. Love it!!! Now I think that I need one of those dresses too- in dark teal!

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  11. Love this! I think I like it better than the Kate Spade version actually! :)

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  12. In my humble opinion, and without any doubt, this is the best thing you have made (excluding your wedding frock, which was divine).

    Fabulous. Love it.

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  13. It looks amazing! Great job! Just show that a little bit of will and creativity, and you can have any couture gown you want :).

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  14. I think this is my favorite thing you have made, so young and sexy and sophisticated all at the same time. I'm going to make one for myself! Thanks for the continual inspiration.

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  15. CUTE! I have to agree with above commenters, your dresses always fit you like a glove. Inspiring :)

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  16. It is adorable! It fits you so well and is cute and sexy at the same time. Great addition to the pattern.

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  17. Wow! Agreed on all fronts, great fit, and defs better than the Kate Spade. I'm always BLOWN AWAY by your ability to see a dress for the parts it really is and recreate it (does that make sense..?)!

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    1. Thank you!! I do love looking at the details and recreating!

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  18. Anonymous8/09/2012

    This is stunning! xXx

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  19. Wow, that looks so great! I hope someday I can sew like that. For now I'm a little too nervous to even try anything fitted--but it looks like you did a perfect job!

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  20. Anonymous8/09/2012

    This is super adorable! Though wouldn't a peplum on the skirt just be called a ruffle? Peplum really just refers to shirts (the word is Greek in origin and means "tunic"). :)

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    1. Yep! It's like a peplum, but on the hem. It's just a big ruffle!

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  21. I love this one on you. It fits you really well- very classic in navy. Have fun accessorizing!

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  22. Anonymous8/09/2012

    I like yours better than the originals!

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  23. Lovely! Great shape for you

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  24. I really love it. I want to make one too. I love the way you remix your commercial patterns.

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  25. You're so pretty, but your blog photos always look cool-colored and shadowy. Adjust the settings a little to add some color and pep into those outfit photos! Gorgeous dress, by the way.

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    1. Haha, thanks. I haaaaaaate my current photo setup and am so excited we'll be moving soon and hopefully I'll have a better place to take pics! I do edit my photos before posting but I can only do so much to some of them without making them look really weird. =P

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  26. Beautiful! I love the color. Navy is one of my favorites as well.

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  27. You look like a mermaid ;)

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  28. Wow, a handmade kate spain dress which fits perfectly! You are amazing!

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  29. Thanks, everyone!!!! So many sweet comments!

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  30. Your version is much sexier, I say go with red accessories and vamp it up!

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  31. if you do a belt, make it a skinny one for sure! turned out so good.

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  32. That's aweso!I like it even better than the original...Does that twill have a sateen finish? I thought it was a satin peau from the pics.

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    1. Thanks! It has a little sheen, maybe finer fibers than a basic twill.

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  33. Wow... I love, love, love this... I can't even come up with the right words...

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  34. Oh WOW! I'm so impressed! You look absolutely stunning in this dress. I really love it, and I may have to steal this idea!!! And I totally agree with the other commenters - love your version better...it's almost like a short fishtail dress!

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  35. great job! it is so flattering for you!

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  36. Hi! Lovely dress. I'm new to sewing and I wanted to try out a similar style. Just wondering if you used a lining for this dress, and if so, what kind?

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  37. I love this dress! I have been looking online for one in this style but a shirt dress with a collar and capped sleeves...impossible to find!

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