Finished: Marnie Dress from The Hour

If you recall, I said I was working on one of Bel's dresses from The Hour for the Copycat Challenge, and I still am! Draping and not using any sort of a pattern is fun and creative, but it's also much slower. Since I ultimately want to make all the dresses from The Hour and I just happened to find this gorgeous cotton fabric from my fabric shop AND I've been waiting for the perfect fabric to use for Bluegingerdoll's Billie Jean dress, I decided to go ahead and make a Marnie dress!

Marnie, as you may recall, is my new favorite housewife from the television show The Hour played the lovely Oona Chaplin.

Look I even did the pearls! Couldn't figure out the hair roll though...

This dress has been on my list for awhile, but it looks like lace or at least embroidery and I figured it would be awhile until I got to it, but then I found this gorgeous cotton print - yes, cotton! - at my local fabric store that resembled the embroidered lace. Perfect for me to start right away.

It's a heavyweight cotton, and I was afraid it would be too heavy, but I find that it works perfectly as a dress.

I used the Billie Jean pattern for this dress, and it sewed up so quickly and easily.

I cut a size 4 for the top and a size 8 for the bottom. I fall in between sizes so I should have cut a size 10 because there's no ease and while I working the dress up, I discovered that the back didn't meet. Oops.

Instead of adding a panel or additional fabric, I decided that I would just put the zipper in and hope for the best. There was a bit of stretch in the right direction so I figured if all else failed, I could just take a picture on the dress form and call it a day.

But somehow, when I zipped it up most of the way and then wiggled myself into, it fit! It's a little tight - okay, it's very tight - but I can sit and move and it's somehow still comfortable so I'm happy.

I did make another adjustment. The dress is meant to be off the shoulder and as I hate strapless bras and feeling like something is falling off my shoulder, I had to do something about that. I adjusted the front per Abby's instructions to pinch out certain areas and then I added several inches to make it go over my shoulder. I'm pretty pleased with the result!

Oh, and one more! Everyone complains that you can't move in wiggle dresses, but you can. You just need more ventilation. I added an additional 5 inches to this vent because I'm a fast walker and I have got to move quickly! (Or else I start hyperventilating for real.)

See the zipper? I'm calling it a design feature.

Oh so the fact that it's too tight also means something else: you can see the zipper. Usually that sort of thing makes me crazy, but I really like the look, and I'm thinking about exchanging my not-so-invisible zipper for a metal visible one that might really add a bit more to the look.

Additionally, you must forgive the hair. I put it in a sock bun and decided it didn't need bobby pins because I was only going to be out for five minutes, but the wind had different ideas. Oh well, I've never been known for my impeccable hair anyway.

This is officially my second wiggle dress and I think they're so fun to make! It's so interesting how at the right angles, you looking stunning and gorgeous but then you turn and you're like, "WOW, is that all my ass?"

But it is, and it's lovely and everyone has body parts sticking out in wiggle dresses. How can you not? I suppose it's like that with all clothing, but wiggle dresses are just better at showing it. ;-)

Stay tuned for my Bel dress! I should have it up this weekend.