Skip to main content

Made By A Fabricista: A Mother’s Day Gift - Making my Daughter’s Prom Dress

Happy Friday All!

As a mother and sewist, I am always planning months in advance for any special occasion dress. Due to the pandemic, my daughter missed all the activities at the end of her elementary journey and I was truly heart broken. She did not have any promotional ceremony, field trips or activities for the last few months of elementary school. I made a vow to myself that in Middle School, no matter what life throws us, I would make the perfect Junior Prom dinner dance dress even if she had to twirl in it at home.

When I came across this beautiful blue lycra sequins fabric, I was thrilled. My daughter Arielle and I spoke a few months ago about the perfect Grade 8 Junior Prom dinner dance dress. She found an inspirational photo on Pinterest back in December which was a one shoulder maxi dress that sparkles and she was excited about me making her special dress. At the time she wasn’t quite sure of the shade of blue she wanted but after our trip to Jamaica during Spring break, she was sold. We found the perfect blue on the Fabric Mart website after we returned and I was excited to get started.

My daughter is extremely picky and of course I have sewn less for her  over the years. I was a bit nervous at first to cut into the fabric but knew the style she wanted was a basic silhouette and wouldn’t require a lot of construction. For the most part, I knew a basic one shoulder block or pattern and a self drafted circle skirt pattern was essential for the look. The top pattern is from Shakti Pattern on Etsy (here) and the skirt is a maxi half circle skirt pattern that I self drafted after watching a few videos on YouTube. 


The bodice is lined and I added a 1 inch elastic for support and structure in the waist. I basically used the outer layer (main) fabric for the casing after attaching it to the skirt and inserted the elastic, closed the casing,  and then attached the lining to the main where the casing was inserted. This technique gave her the needed support in the mid section and cinched the waist even more. I definitely plan to try this technique again and of course do a step by step video or written tutorial.

Overall I am happy that she truly enjoyed her Hollywood Theme Junior Prom.  I am so proud of my sewing journey over the past 2 years.  To see the joy in my daughter’s eyes the day of her Junior Prom was the best Mother’s Day gift I could ask for this year.


I will forever cherish every special moment with both my daughter and son and will continue to sew all special occasion looks.  She is already planning next formal dress for the Fall.  Thanks for following my journey  as a blogger here at Fabric Mart. Be sure to stop by my Instagram page to see Arielle, my daughter twirling in her dress.  

One Love,

MARICA  @heymaricamitchell

Unfortunately Fabric Mart Fabrics sell out quickly!
You can find similar fabrics by shopping the following categories SEQUINS & SPARKLES.

Comments

  1. You did an amazing job. I love the color and style but the fit is absolutely perfect. I would have never guessed it has elastic in the waist. I will definitely be looking for the tutorial on how you did that.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your work compliments your beautiful daughter!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I am impressed - it doesn't look like an elastic waistband, you did that very well!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Beautiful color. Perfect fit. Did you have any trouble breaking needles because of the sequins?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The sequins are small and lucky for me, I did not break a needle.

      Delete
  5. Your daughter looks stunning in her dress and she will surely remember you making it for her forever! I would love a tutorial on the internal waistband as the smooth fit on this is something I’m always trying to achieve. Really excellent work.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Elegant simplicity at its finest, perfect fit, and age appropriate too! She looks gorgeous in this dress!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Turned out Beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  8. What a gorgeous dress, it suits her so well in all aspects - color, style, line. Brilliant technique too. I am so glad you were able to do her proud! She looks like a princess.

    ReplyDelete
  9. NICE!!!! And she is such a beautiful young lady!!!! I pray her many right open doors before her :) FIESTA!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. She looks gorgeous! You did a beautiful job (daughter and dress!).

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks for leaving a comment! All comments are reviewed before posting to help us eliminate spam. Your comment will be posted within 24 hours.

Popular Posts You Might Like

Made By A Fabricista: Feeling Festive in Red

Happy Holidays! I’m so excited to bring you this all red holiday look that would be a hit at any holiday gathering this season. Whether you’re headed to your company holiday party or just going to sit in your living room, you’ll fabulous doing so. For this month’s post I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I have been a Sew It Academy student since Mimi G opened it back in 2016.  Sew It Academy is her online sewing academy that shows you what to do once you open your sewing machine and different lessons come out every month showing you different techniques and how to sew different things. Sew It Academy now offers PDF patterns and sewalongs that come with them. I made the Boxy Pullover Top and the Bubble & Wide Hem Skirt which are both Sew It Academy patterns. The Boxy Pullover Top is the first garment class offered in Sew It Academy, so it’s super easy to make.  I’ve seen several YouTube videos for the same top and they are all pretty much contructed the same way.  I...

Made By A Fabricista: Everything Old is New Again: A Linen Skirt Using an Old(er) Pattern

Hello Sewing Friends! It’s Sharon from Sharon Sews with my last post for 2024!  This time I used one of my favorite fabrics, linen. Fabric Mart usually has an excellent selection of linens .  I should know as I’ve ordered my fair share over the years. This time I choose a medium-weight 100% linen with a black and white abstract print.  When I ordered the fabric, my plan was to use an old Issey Miyake pattern and sew myself an oversized linen coat.  But when the fabric arrived it told me it would be happier as a skirt.  Your fabric also talks to you, right?   I’ve been drawn to the look of satin bias skirts paired with oversized sweaters but knew that skirt style doesn’t work on my body shape.  Plus, once the holidays are over a satin skirt would just sit in my closet.  But a linen skirt, in a neutral black and white print, could be worn during the winter months with boots and a sweater and easily transition to warm weather with a tee and sand...

Made By A Fabricista: Cozy Sewing Season

The cozy sewing season seems like it came early this year! Temperatures in Pennsylvania have been in the freezing range for weeks, so it is time to break out the flannel, sweater knits, sherpa, wool, and other warm fabrics. Fabric Mart's website is stocked with gorgeous cozy fabric perfect for sewists living in cold climates. While searching for fabric for my first cozy sew of the season, a Cranberry Plaid 100% Cotton Flannel fabric caught my eye. I loved the colors and the plaid pattern. I ordered 3.5 yards to make a button-up flannel shirt for myself, and a little extra fabric to make a button-up shirt for my son. I also ordered two packs of 10 Soft Pearl Plastic Shirt Buttons and "My Mama Made It" sewing labels from Kylie and the Machine. I envisioned one of these labels being added to the side seam of my son's shirt for a bespoke detail. Once my order arrived, I washed my fabric and reached for my Grainline Studio Archer Button-Up paper pattern. I used this pat...