Sunday, September 16, 2012

Review: Simplicity 1876 | Mikaela's Homecoming Dress!

It's homecoming time again!  I love this time of year when it comes to my girls.  As a refresher, this is what Mikaela wore last year.  She's looks so much more grown up year after year.  **sniff, sniff**
This year, I used season 5 Project Runway winner Leanne Marshall's pattern - Simplicity 1876.
I cut the smallest size straight out of the envelope.  I sewed it in taffeta with a lace overlay on the bodice and lined it in crepe back satin.  
And instead of using the belt, I added sequined trimming at the waist, for a touch of bling.  I didn't have to do any alterations all.  I would like to warn you that this dress is short!  Mikaela is 5'5", and this pattern was sewn as is.  
This pattern was not difficult at all.  However, it is very time consuming.  There are a LOT of pieces to cut out.  So if I were you, I'd allot at least 3 days to make it happen... just to be cautious.  But it's drafted perfectly and reminiscent of Leanne's Project Runway finale collection.
I really loved the layered peplum style of this dress.  I thought that the way they overlapped gave it that petal effect that Leanne is known for.  This dress is so unique and my girls never repeat the same dress, so I'll never sew this again for them.  But I highly recommend this for anyone with a young lady in their life.  Or someone that would like to wear this fresh and girly style.
In case you couldn't tell, she was thrilled!

78 comments:

  1. She looks beautiful in this! The perfect dress for a pretty young lady. As usual you did a fantastic job on the dress! How many more of these do you get to sew or will it become prom dresses, soon?

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  2. Thanks Carolyn. She's a sophomore so I have 2 more homecomings and possibly 2 proms.

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  3. Just superb! The dress is gorgeous and your daughter looks fantastic. My girls are 9 and 5 so I have a few years to wait before I'll get to sew them such pretty formal dresses, but you're providing me with great style inspiration!

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  4. It's perfect! Great style, colour and details.
    You are right, she is growing up, and getting more beautiful all the time!

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  5. Beautiful choices as always. She looks lovely... Sophisticated but girlish.

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  6. The dress is lovely. It looks wonderful on your beautiful daughter.

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  7. Stunner! Your daughter is growing into a very beautiful young woman.

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  8. Absolutely stunning! Your daughter has inherited your style!

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  9. She looks gorgeous! (And she's all leg!) I love the color with the hot pink shoes.

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  10. Mikaela is beautiful and so is the dress!

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  11. Those legs are fantastic, nearly as good as the dress. Wish you had been my mum at that age, but then maybe I wouldn't have learned to sew stuff to go out in.

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  12. It really is an adorable dress on her. They change so quickly at this stage!

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  13. Anonymous10:34 AM

    This is gorgeous, and your daughter looks amazing!

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  14. Long time reader, but first time commenter. Love your blog, always smile when I see you've updated (one of the few sewing blogs I still follow). Adore your style.

    You and your daughter are just both too gorgeous!

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    1. Thanks Megan for coming out of lurkdom!

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  15. Your Baby looked gorgeous!!! Way to Go Mom:)

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  16. OMG Erica she looks amazing and so grown up already, its crazy when you have been following someone for such a long time, its like I got to watch some of the kids grow up, crazy!!

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    1. Mimi, it's crazy how fast they grow and change. Thanks!

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  17. so beautiful!!!! and she has her mama's posing skills:)

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  18. Beautiful dress for a beautiful young lady. I remember those days of homecoming and prom dresses, I have two daughters. Memories! Pricless!

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  19. Simply LOVELY...WOW how time passes :)

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  20. Wow!! your daughter looks very stunning!! I love the style, the color, and the shoes are perfect. Your daughter is the perfect model like her mom.

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  21. The dress is gorgeous and your daughter is beautiful. Forget homecoming - lock her up for the next five years! ;-)

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  22. wow! she looks stunning and the dress is so well made! well done. I may have to dabble in the project runway collections! :P

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  23. Gorgeous girl in a stunning dress. But tell me Erica, what is your secret. How did you persuade her to wear the same dress?

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  24. Thanks Gail... no persuasion needed!

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  25. pretty pretty prettty!! I love it, the dress, the shoes, the styling. Beautiful Mikaela! Excellent job Erica B!

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  26. Thanks onefromphilly!

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  27. sniff sniff is right! She's grown so much! I love this dress and she looks thrilled. Only 5 ft 5? She's all legs the lucky little thing! I would have thought she was 5 ft 8 or so :) Great job Erica!

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  28. It's just lovely! I liked the pattern too, but I have no one the right age to make it for. It's really perfect for your daughter. The bling is just right and the shoes are awesome! Wonderful job as usual. Your daughter is so lovely and stylish, just like her mama. I think if I blink too many times, my baby girl will be all grown up like that.

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  29. Melanie, it seems to happen just that fast. Thanks!

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  30. Beautiful dress and your daughter is gorgeous as usual!

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  31. Your daughter looks beautiful...it it amazing to see how they change from year to year isn't it! Especially since we haven't changed at all since giving birth to them!LOL

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  32. Mikaela is such a beautiful young woman. Erica, this dress is gorgeous on her. Wow! Great job!

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  33. Omigosh, Erica, what happened to your little baby girl?! She's all grown up!!

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  34. She is just gorgeous!

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  35. She looks so pretty! Great job.

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  36. Meg, she grew up so quickly!

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  37. She looks AMAZING! My mother made one of my home coming dresses. It was fabulous. Thank you for sharing.

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  38. beautiful! and oh-so stylish! i liked the sequin trim rather than belt idea. very pretty for homecoming!

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  39. Erica she looks AMAZING! Love the pop of color in her shoes. And she is definitely your daughter. She loves the camera and the camera clearly loves her. Very nicely done!

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  40. Oh wow Erica, that dress is amazing and your daughter is so beautiful in it. The shoes are just perfect also.

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  41. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!!! She will definitely be the belle of the ball...no turning back into Cinderella for this beautiful young lady!! Great job Erica on bothe the dress and your daughter!!

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  42. Quite honestly I think you could put Mikaela in anything and she would look beautiful, but this dress is perfect for her. She has your eye for accessorising too!

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  43. She looks lovely in that dress. It's perfect for her and look how much she's matured since last year. Simply beautiful.

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  44. Wow, what a stunning dress for a pretty young lady!

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  45. OMGEEEEEEE, lol! Beautiful dress and just right for a young lady. I wanted to make this soooo bad for my daughter, I think she's the same age as M. Your kiddo is so pretty - looks just like her mama!

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  46. Thanks narcissaqtpie! You should make it for her!

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  47. Thanks create share and give!

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