Women's Magazine Street Maxi + A Giveaway!

I was provided this pattern free of charge, but all opinions are my own.

Hey guys! Shannon and I are so excited to be a part of the Seamingly Smitten pattern tour today and share a really great pattern (and a giveaway!!) with you all.  I already own a couple of Seamingly Smitten patterns, so when Jenny contacted me and asked if I'd be interested in trying another pattern, it was an easy yes!

My initial inclination was to sew up the Magazine Street Maxi Dress for Girls because I've been eyeing it for-ev-er, but my daughter, Haley, has enough dresses to last her until she's 42 and I have a pile of gorgeous knit from Girl Charlee just waiting to be cut into, so I thought it was about time I did some selfish sewing!


I chose The Magazine Street Maxi for Women because it's such a versatile pattern that's great for summer, but can easily transition into fall and winter with a shrug or cardi.

The Pattern:
First off, Jenny makes all of her tutorials very easy to follow with plenty of step-by-step instructions and pictures so if you're a beginner, have no fear! She also explains how to measure and adjust the pattern for your size for the perfect fit. I sewed up a medium top and bottom, and the sizing was right on (though next time I might go for the longer bodice length.) There are also several different options for sleeves (I did a cap sleeve) and a slit if you'd like to adjust for some extra leg room.



The Fabric:
I wanted a comfy, versatile dress, so I made it entirely from knit (though you could easily make the skirt portion from cotton.) The chevron is a nylon spandex that looks like it's out of stock at the moment (here it is in a different color), and the black is from my stash. I can always count on Girl Charlee for adorable, quality prints (PS anyone else a huge fan of their bargain lot sales??) I had a little bit of a hair tearing out moment as I sewed the bodice to the skirt since the spandex is a bit slippery, but luckily we both survived the experience and I have an adorable dress to show for it! And also don't look too close at my pattern matching, k? ;)

The Mods:

I did make a few modifications to the dress, just based on my own personal preferences. Rather than folding the neckline down and sewing as stated in the tutorial, I cut a band from my black knit and serged it around the neckline. I also raised the back neckline several inches. Finally, I couldn't keep the idea of making the skirt hem into a high-low hem, so after sewing everything up, I cut the bottom similar to how I did in this tutorial. The high-low hem is a great way to make the dress a little breezier for summer!

I love my new dress! Thanks for another great pattern, Jenny! Jenny was also sweet enough to include a 50% off coupon for her etsy shop through July 25th. Click below to visit her shop and choose from one of her many adorable patterns.

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Now onto the giveaway! 3 lucky winners will receive their choice of 5 FREE sewing patterns from the Seamingly Smitten etsy shop! Enter using the Rafflecopter giveaway widget below. Good luck!

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