burda maternity wrap dress – finished!

It was a bit fussier than I would have expected, or liked, from a simple wrap dress. I used a couple of techniques:

Steam-a-seam on the facings held them in place for topstitching. Same, too, with hems. I had hubby clip a construction chalk line between two legs of a sawhorse, and I turned in a circle. It looked super weird, but I just cut (smoothly and evenly) reasonably the same curve as the chalkline (which waggled everywhere due to being done with a fine, flowy jersey) a few inches below, in case I got it wrong. As it turns out, it was perfect, and I simply turned, pressed steam-a-seam under the hem and topstitched.

This dress REALLY emphasizes a pregnant shape. No doubt. My mom then suggested, when done, to cut off about 4″ on either side of each wrap, resew the ties on and use it later on. I’ll have to make a nursing bandeau cleavage cover or wear a nursing cami, but it’ll be easy to do. Thanks mom! I’ll probably also need to take some off each sideseam, but we’ll see.

Anyway, it’s a lovely dress in a cool snakeskin (very trendy) print.

I think any wrap dress, with the ties at empire, would have worked. The gathers on one side (pleats in the example photo) didn’t sew in at all – when I serged the seam, they fell completely out, visually. I would omit this if I made another maternity wrap dress. The sleeves, however, are really nice! A very nice detail and easy to sew with the banded cuffs.

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