DIY Circle Skirt Bow Back Dress: Vogue 1102

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Have you ever seen something and just knew you had to make it? That’s how I felt when I saw Smittenwithstitching’s instagram post on her Vogue 1102. I loved the fit and more casual look of her dress because truthfully, just seeing the cover of this envelope, I am pretty sure I would have overlooked this little gem. The cover makes this look like formal wear and isn’t something I would pick for my lifestyle, but seeing Amy’s version got me excited to make this a more casual dress with that little something extra and cute.

DIY Circle Skirt Bow Back Dress: Vogue 1102

Pattern Information: <br />

Pattern Sizing:

6-12 or 14-20, I cut the size 8, graded to a 12 waist. I tissue fit the pattern and thought the fit was great, however the slight stretch in this fabric combined with how heavy it is made the bodice too big. I ended up taking it in quite a bit and feel like it could still come in a bit tighter through the bodice and waist. I also did not want the gathers at the front of the skirt so made sure I cut the circle skirt to match up with the bodice as opposed to needing gathers.

Fabric Used:

I used a cotton stretch twill from Joanns that I picked up earlier this summer to make another pair of Greenstyle Chelsea Pants. As awesome as I think these would have looked as bell bottom pants I became distracted during my red, white and blue collection and wanted this dress now and this fabric was already at hand! So, I scratched out the pants and went with the dress instead. But I enjoyed working with this fabric and I love the color, weight, and stretch so much so that I feel like eventually that pair of pants will be created.

Did it look like the pattern envelope when you were done sewing?

No, I feel like the more casual fabric, shortened length and lack of gathers make this dress look slightly different than the pattern envelope. As I talked about earlier, the pattern envelope comes off as a much dressier look.

Were the instructions easy to follow?

Yes, these instructions were easy to follow. For a Vogue pattern I felt that this pattern was pretty simple. No major construction issues. I do feel like my fabric is a bit thick for the bow detail and a bit heavy for the circle skirt but that was issues from my choices and nothing to do with the pattern.

Pattern Modifications:

I shortened the skirt by about 3 inches. I omitted the gathers in front of the skirt to eliminate extra bulk around my stomach and cut the skirt to match the bodice size. I scooped out the neckline by about 3/4 inch because I felt slightly choked when sewing it according to the pattern. I also added inseam side pockets, because pockets are everything!

What did you like/dislike about the pattern?

I loved the bow back detail and the full circle skirt. I did not love the gathers in the center front of the skirt.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?

So, I am not sure how many of this dress I need in my wardrobe, so unless I needed a fancier dress for an event or find the right kind of denim/chambray for a cute casual dress I probably won’t sew it again. I did see another review on patternreview.com for a top from this dress pattern and that has my interest!

Conclusion:

I think this dress is so fun. It is cute, stylish, has fun details and twirls like a dream. It is a pretty easy dress to put together as well and you can create a more casual or formal look from the same dress. I think it is a great pattern to pick up!