A major floral maxi dress for a very special wedding

A major floral maxi dress for a very special wedding

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• 8.08.2014

I know I said just last week that I've made so many dresses in the years of running this blog that it's a little tiring sometimes to enjoy the fun of designing something new. But special occasions like the one I made this dress for are different.

I'm so happy for my oldest friend from childhood, who just had an amazing wedding last weekend! It was at a totally rustic venue up in the hills north of town, on a little lake and surrounded by big trees and shade. Seriously such a beautiful and peaceful setting, and huge guest list including people of all ages so it was a very fun, casual, happy event.

I've been thinking about what to make to wear for her wedding for a long time now, as I shared with my ideas in this post. I really loved that lavender floral Anthropologie halter, but I had the hardest time finding a fabric that would capture the mood. I seriously went to the fabric store three or four times looking for something. Eventually I gave up on the color family and gave up looking for a knit or breathable cotton, and bought the last of the bolt of this "photo print" floral crinkle chiffon at JoAnn.

I wasn't able to find the perfect lavender tropical print, but I did like the high neck halter idea from my original inspirations. I pulled out a pattern I bought years ago but have never used, Simplicity 2579 (pretty sure it's out of print). It was fun to make a style I don't do often!

I seriously bought the last of the bolt and it was quite a stretch to get this maxi out of it. So I had to piece the center front midriff panel. Oops.

On the bolt, it looked light pink to me, but then I put a white cotton under it (since I also had a hard time finding the right lining, ugh!) and it really brightened it up. Plus, white cotton is a much nicer lining for summer than anything whatever candy pink poly lining I was going to find. (And SO much easier to sew with!)

After I made it and was looking through my scans, I saw this magazine page (March 2014). Trend: "Super-Modern Florals." Yeah, I'd call my hot pink flower photo fabric a super modern floral! It is a fun, bold trend!

Oh, and the dress on me? It was great for a hot evening!

It was really special to have a new dress I made just for the occasion. Events like this don't come up all the time, so it's fun and exciting and fulfilling to make something new! Plus, I love summer events and a chance to dress up!