Dakota Sewalong - My Finished Dress Revealed!


Boy, oh boy, does this feel like my most drawn out project to date! When Rachel and I first dreamt up the Dakota Sewalong, my plan was to have my dress and all my sewalong posts done and dusted before moving house. Of course life never works out that neatly, so it took me forever to make this dress and...well...I ended  up sewing along!

That's not to say that I'm not delighted with the result though. I attribute this in equal parts to Named's beautiful pattern and the luxurious Prada crepe generously gifted to me by Minerva Crafts.


I won't go into construction details as the sewalong has covered every imaginable aspect, but I will share some additional bits and bobs.

My favourite things about the Dakota Dress pattern: Details like the side pockets, interesting hemline and shawl collar. The fact that it can be customised in so many ways.

What I would change: I'd take a leaf out of Rachel's book and draft a wider collar. Not only would this make it into more of a feature (think nice and nautical), it would also probably help it to lie better.

The truth about my sleeve plackets: Because I was using slippery and medium-weight crepe, I found it impossible to make 'proper' plackets like in Rachel's tutorial, so instead I went for easier plackets that I learned during the making of my Armistice Blouse.



Although the pockets probably aren't in the most flattering placement for girls with hips and/or muffin tops, I do love them so! You could of course forgo them altogether or move them from the side to the front if you wanted to.

Staying true to my inspiration post, I've paired it with my clever leopard spot blouse from M&S. I totally stand by my original idea as I think the combination looks totally kickass! However, I do think I'll wear my Dakota with something slightly less 'bulky' underneath in the future, as it doesn't have much ease in it. I also dislike wearing long sleeves on long sleeves...it makes me feel a little 'funny' if I'm honest. Anyone else experience this, or am I the only weirdo here?


So there you have it, my finished Dakota Dress! Hope it was worth the wait!

I also just want to take the chance once again to thank everyone who put an awful lot of effort and talent into making the Dakota Sewalong happen:

All the sewalong posts can be found here or on Pinterest and I hope some people will follow along in their own time, or refer to specific posts for future makes.

In the meantime, I'll be sharing some of your finished Dakotas on Friday. There's still time to send me a link to yours - add your photos to the Flickr group, comment below or email me. If you miss out on being featured in Friday's post, do keep those Dakotas coming in because Rachel and I will be doing future roundups too!

37 comments:

  1. Oh this turned out so beautiful!! I've been silently stalking all the sewalong posts, eager to see how the finished dresses turned out. This blue is just so striking on you, and I love how you styled it with the button-up underneath - though I would agree about liking to avoid bulk when I layer - particularly in sleeves! Anyway, absolutely gorgeous, and thank you for all your hard work putting together the sewalong!

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    1. Thank you so much for your lovely comments and it's so good to know the sewalong was appreciated!

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  2. Wowzer, this is killer! There's something sort of equestrian about it. I love this on you! I know what you mean about wearing long sleeves under long sleeves-- I always feel like everything is rubbing and twisting together unpleasantly! But the blouse looks so great with the dress that maybe it's worth the irritation!

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    1. Thank you Sonja, so you're cute! And yes, 'unpleasant' is the perfect word for it!

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  3. This is hot damn! You look like you should be on a classic album cover. I have to say that dress, shirt and fringe combo is killer. I'm so making this now after seeing how well yours has turned out.

    xxx

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    1. Hehe, thank you!!! Please let me know as soon as you make it...dying to see what you do!

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  4. I'm in love with this fabric (and your pretty hair!). Such a great look!

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    1. Thanks so much Sue! I cheated with the hair as I'd just had it cut that day...never usually looks that good ;o)

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  5. Great dress! I can't wait to see how everyone interprets this pattern - there's so many different variations. Well done for pulling this all together.

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    1. Thank you and yes, I hope lots of people have fun making this pattern their own!

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  6. I can't believe that you managed to host a sew along AND make a perfect dress with how busy you are! xo

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    1. Thanks Erin! It wasn't easy, but it was great ;o)

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  7. It's so pretty and well sewn! Nice work!!

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  8. I think this dress looks lovely on you, and the pockets are great! They don't look unflattering at all.

    I agree with the double long sleeves feeling. It's a bit like wearing tights under trousers - ugh!

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    1. Thank you Alice! And yes, you hit the nail on the head with that simile...it is just like wearing tights under trousers...yuck!!!

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  9. Your dress looks beautiful! I think long sleeves under long sleeves is awkward to wear too, it feels bulky & you can usually see the creases.

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    1. Thank you! And I'm glad I'm not the only one who feels that way ;o)

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  10. ABsolutely beautiful! I'm with you on the sleeves- a cami worked best for me? Thanks again for hosting and extra kudos for moving houses too!

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    1. Thank you so much Cathy! I have loads of short sleeved tops and camis that will work just fine, but I was just desperate to combine these two as I love how they look together!

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  11. Thank you for being the best partner in crime. Xx

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  12. I'd been waiting to see your dress - it's gorgeous! What are great color on you. I really like how you've styled it with the shirt and belt, but I do agree that sleeves under sleeves are not comfortable. Maybe a sleeveless Archer would work? Thank you so much for co-hosting the sewalong!

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    1. Thank you Shar and what a great suggestion about a sleeveless Archer!

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  13. I agree with the person above who noted it looks very equestrian. All you need is a horse and a riding helmet. I especially like the look from the side. Your outfit does so much to complement your body-profile (is that even a term?) in a way that gives you a unique look. Great work.

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  14. Gorgeous dress and styling! The double sleeve certainly doesn't look bulky at least but I'm with you--no fun to wear. I think the pockets look great they don't interfere with the line of the hip at all so if anything I think they distract from the hip and I wouldn't give them a second thought. Your fabric sounds amazing must be all the better in person.

    I finished a muslin yesterday and have two knitpicky fit issues. One, the shoulders are clearly intended to be wide and jacket like but mine are hanging off just a hair too much. I can't decide if it's worth fixing. Two, the hang of the skirt at center front wants to collapse on itself like an inverted pleat. Looking at the posted makes it seems like in a knit the fullness ripples nicely but in wovens the front panels don't hang as nicely as the back. I'm thinking of adjusting the side front skirt panels to be a little less full. But I'm on the fence on both issues.

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    1. Aaaw, thanks! Have you decided to fix your knitpicky issues or will you leave them do you think?

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  15. Eeeek, this is SO CUTE Marie!! That colour is just gorgeous on you :) Also, I love your fringe!

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  16. Wowzers. The colour is stunning and the dress looks so polished, like a proper designer dress! Congratulations Marie. This is a total winner. I love your blouse but definitely agree about long on long sleeves. Wearing them makes me feel ick! :-P

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  17. Oh! This is gorgeous! You guys did a superb job with the sewalong! I followed every post and prepared my pattern, now I just need to cut and sew and seeing your finished beauty motivates me even more!

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    1. Oooh, how exciting...I can't wait to see you in a Dakota! Thanks so much for following along!

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  18. I just realized this post is from last yr. but I have to say what a beautiful dress and your bangs are everything!

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