AD Challenge: The Trumpet Flower Dress by MCM Studio Designs

Hello!

My name is Linda and I blog at The Merry Church Mouse. I am honored and blessed to be a part of the Aspiring Designers Challenge today.  I have been sewing for many years and delved into pattern design a little over a year ago.  The pattern that I am releasing today is my fourth pattern for MCM Studio Designs.  I hope that you enjoy it.


Photo by Alyssa Carrion

The name of this pattern is "The Trumpet Flower Dress".  It is inspired by one of my childhood memories.  Years ago while visiting my cousins in Alabama, I remember playing with the trumpet flowers that grew in their backyard.  We picked the flowers and turned them upside down and made believe that they were ballerinas, the petals of the flowers being their dresses.  The skirt of this dress is designed to recreate that idea.

So let's look at the details of this pattern.


The Trumpet Flower Dress is a quick, simple dress with a ton of twirl factor.  It is available in sizes 2-6.  All measurements are given in both imperial and metric.  It is designed to be printed on either A4 or US Letter size paper.  It is simple enough for an adventurous beginner. You will need to know how to sew curves, clip and notch curves and make button holes in order to finish this dress. 


Photo by Linda Lehn

Photo by Jen Balliff

It has a fully lined bodice, an eight gored skirt, and closes with ties in the back which are fed through two button holes.  The skirt is more than a full circle which gives it beautiful movement and flow.



Photo by Pawinee Dodson

This pattern is great for mixing and matching fabrics.  Yardage is given in a way that it can be broken down into yardage for the bodice alone, two of the gores, four of the gores or the entire dress. This makes it easy to calculate how much fabric you will need if you choose to use multiple fabrics.

Photo by Alyssa Carrion

While this dress does require a bit of fabric, it sews up quickly, and pays off with a skirt that spins like a dream.

Photo by Linda Lehn


Photo by Rachel Maxwell

Also included in the pattern are simple flower and butterfly shapes to use as appliqué if you should so choose.  I like to include these little bonuses in all of my patterns.   

I love to inspire others to explore their own creativity and there are a lot of things that could be done with this pattern to truly make it your own.  A ruffle or lace could be added to the hem. The hem could also be trimmed with bias tape.  Horsehair braid added to the hem would cause the skirt to stand out a bit and give it a bit of a retro vibe.  Ruffles could be added to the straps to create a flutter sleeve effect.  Try using some piping around the bodice and straps.  Embroider your favorite design on the front.  Trim the gore seams with ribbon or rickrack for a fun look.  How about adding a funky trim to the waist line? The possibilities are endless. 

The Trumpet Flower Dress will be on sale through Monday May 25th for $4.00 (regular price will be $7.00).  It can be found at Craftsy, Etsy and my website.  You can also register to win a copy using the RaffleCopter at the end of this post.  

I hope that you will stop by and check out my other patterns as well.  I also invite you to share your creations using MCM Studio Designs patterns. You can share them at my Facebook page, on Pinterest or on Instagram using the hash tags #mcmstudiodesigns and #mcmtrumpetflower or in your favorite Facebook sewing group.  I really enjoy seeing what others have made from the patterns I designed.