My Easter Dress - Butterick Pattern B5307

For my Easter dress this year I decided to make it! That was only after I saw this fabric! I LOVED this fabric! (from JoAnns).  Emerald green is supposedly the "IT" color of Spring 2013 and navy is a true classic - so this was the perfect match for me!

Dress front:

I grabbed the pattern Butterick B5307 because I loved the V-neckline and a contrast midriff. I have only played around with darts before, but this time I went for it! I raised the bust darts and widened them because I am petite and I know that if the bust does not fit properly, the whole dress will look baggy.

This dress has a lined bodice, a centered back zipper and a contrast midriff band. I left off the contrast skirt band because I simply loved the green and navy fabric the most and wanted to show it off.

The zipper went in pretty well! I'm not going to lie...I was nervous at first because it was the final touch and had to be just right, and wouldn't you know it, I need the seam ripper as soon as I started :) ha! But I kept going after that without a hitch! The only mistake was the back contrast midriff band - see how one side is taller than the other? I must have been off a bit when cutting out the pattern piece, or used a different seam allowance accidentally. Whoops! :)

 

See? Not perfect, but perfect enough for me to wear! :)

I love it! The fit is pretty good. Not perfect - it could be narrower in the waist, but when I was going to alter it and had it pinned, I noticed the bottom of the zipper poked out some from the back view. That would throw off the whole look, so I opted not to take it in a half an inch and left it alone.

Overall it took about 6 hours - partly because I was so nervous about the darts and the zipper - but if I did it again it would probably take 3 hours. :) Nerves...sheesh!!

I love it and cannot wait to wear it on Easter! We are heading to the beach and I am looking forward to some fun time with my kids and husband!!