I am excited about this project! McCall’s recently announced on Instagram they were hosting a sewing contest for the Royal Wedding! Not only was I excited about the prizes, but I am also looking forward to seeing what fellow sewers create for this event! Have you heard of this contest? If not, you can view the official rules here, but I’ve also included some details below in case you wanted to enter! (End date May 19, 2018)

Details About the Contest

To enter, you must sew a: “Qualifying garments are those sewn from a current pattern from any of the five participating brands: Butterick, McCall’s, New Look, Simplicity, or Vogue Patterns. Pattern tweaking is allowed, as long as the judges feel the basic overall design of the pattern is still recognizable. For example, making a neckline a little less plunging or a sleeve longer or shorter for your tastes is fine with us.”

Wedding Guest Dress – How to Make a Dress for a Royal Wedding

Planning the right dress to wear as a wedding guest can be a challenge. I find myself hunting for the perfect outfit to wear that will match the season, weather and style. The royal wedding adds even more selection challenges, as there are etiquette guidelines that guests must follow. Before picking out my dress pattern, I completed research on royal wedding etiquette and below is what I found. The guidelines listed were from an article I read on the Washington Post.

• Woman’s shoulders should be covered
• Hemlines shouldn’t be shorter than the longest finger when arms are held at your side
• No cleavage/lot of skin
• No white or black dresses
• Hats – Bigger isn’t always better
• Shoes – No open-toed shoes, wedges or stilettos
• Handbags should be small

I took all of these rules into consideration when I picked out my dress pattern. After going through ALL of the pattern books at JoAnn Fabrics, I landed on a revamped vintage Simplicity Pattern. ( Also a printable version available!!!) When I saw this pattern in the store, I immediately knew that this was the design I wanted to use for this project! It has the perfect amount of eloquence, class and gathers inspiration from the current 70’s fashion trend!

How I followed the Royal Wedding Etiquette Rules for this Challenge:

• Woman’s shoulders should be covered: I opted to use the tulle on the sleeves
• Hemlines shouldn’t be shorter than the longest finger when arms are held at your side: My hemline was below the knee
• No cleavage/lot of skin: One of the minor modifications I made to this pattern ( I only made 2) was making the hemline of the neckline a little more modest. I did this by simply adding a slip/blind stitch at the top of the two bodice pieces.
• No White or black dresses: This could be construed as disrespectful. The Washington Post is predicting a lot of pastels and florals. I opted to use a beautiful light lavender fabric to pay homage to the color of the year, and of course, the color purple symbolizes royalty.
• Hats: Bigger isn’t always better: I opted to make a small fascinator I believed went with the look and feel of my dress. It gave my dress a more whimsical look
• Shoes: I went with a classic nude pump. Timeless and elegant, plus Kate Middleton wore a nude pump to her sister’s wedding, so how could I go wrong there?

What Sewing Level is this Dress?

The description of this pattern says this dress was not for beginners, but for an average/mid-level sewing. I couldn’t agree more! The pattern was easy enough to follow, but adding a lining to a dress is a skill that requires time and practice.

Thoughts on Simplicity Pattern 8013 and Dress

I LOVE how this dress turned out and am excited to wear it on an upcoming trip and for future formal events. It’s been a while since I’ve used a sewing pattern, as I usually make my own, but I enjoyed using this Simplicity pattern! The directions were easy to follow. Photos/sketches were provided in the instructions to help guide you through sewing process – which is helpful! Unlike other patterns I’ve used in the past, I only made two minor modifications to this dress. The first one was to make the hemline of the neckline more modest. The second modification was adding lining to the dress belt.

What do you think of this dress pattern? Do you love it as much as I do? Let me know in the comments below!