The Wildwood Wrap Dress by Sew House Seven turned out wonderful but I had some difficult moments. Sewing the collar to the back panel was supposed to be the difficult part, but I found it went rather smoothly. The difficult steps for me came when adding the hem facing and attaching the bodice and skirt together. But I’m happy I made it and that it was challenging for me because I feel like I learned some new skills with this make. I ended up attaching the left and right hem facings backwards. I was able to make it work with a little patchwork fix, as I was not willing to undo everything and switch the pieces around. The French seams turned out well, especially around the collar where the “sew to the notch and pivot” areas came out surprising smooth and quick. In the end, I did have to rip out a few (many) stitches here and there but I expect that every time I make something.

THE PATTERN

I chose this dress for a few reasons. Firstly, all the pictures online from other makers looked amazing and so I thought the dress would probably look good on me. Secondly, I am sorely lacking in dresses and would like a few more summer dresses in my closet. A wrap dress seemed like a perfect fit.

I cut a size 8 for the bodice and a size 12 for the bottom and graded in between. The hem length was perfect and I did not make any adjustments.

Sleeves: view B
Hem: view A

I’m happy with how the dress came out and the sleeve and hem lengths I chose. The pleats and shawl collar in the bodice are so well thought out. I love what they add to the overall look. Secondly, I didn’t make a mess with the pockets like I usually do. I actually love them on this dress. For me, pockets on dresses are just decorative, and these pockets are lovely. They’re actually very big and can hold quite a bit. My favourite design aspect is the wraparound belt. It elevates the garment, but it’s also very practical, since it also helps to keep the bodice in place in order to avoid any wardrobe malfunctions.

INSTRUCTIONS

The instructions were fairly easy to follow. I watched a YouTube tutorial by Emily Lightly which helped to compliment the instructions. Together, it made it much easier for me to move from step to step and feel confident I was doing the right thing.

THE FABRIC

I used a soft cotton linen twill that’s been in my stash for a few years. I love the warm feeling of the fabric, like I’ve been wearing it for years already. I expected the fabric colour to have more of a red tone to it. Not sure if I like how this colour looks on me. If I make another Wildwood Wrap I would make it with a more crisp stable cotton and see what difference that would make in the overall look.

Pattern: Wildwood Wrap Dress by @sewhouse7
Fabric: @blackbirdfabrics cotton linen twill called Firecracker
Emily Lightly tutorial: Wildwood Wrap Dress Sewalong and Review

I’m so pleased to be adding another colourful dress in my wardrobe! Let me know what you think about this dress in the comments.

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