Wiggle to Weddings, Work, and Weekends – The Patterns for Pirates Wiggle Dress

Well, friends, it looks like wedding season is back in full swing! I just went to my friend Taryn’s wedding (click here to see her gift!) and there are more on the horizon. That means more dresses!

I was hemming and hawing for a while about what kind of dress to make for Taryn’s wedding. I know I wanted a floor-length gown, but something that was easy enough to sew up in my limited time. I also needed it to travel well since the wedding was in New Orleans and I usually just cram stuff into my luggage.

Thank goodness for my friend Shirley who suggested the Patterns for Pirates Wiggle Dress. As soon as I saw the sample photo for the floor-length mermaid dress, I knew it was meant to be.

This pattern is insane, y’all! For $9 USD, you get everything from a tee crop top to a stunning off-the-shoulder evening gown. All you need is a decent knit fabric (preferably scuba knit for the body-con dresses) and 3/8 inch elastic for the neck opening.

I went a little coo-coo for it and made 3 versions right away. I’ll show them in order from most dazzling to most casual. 🙂

Wedding

The first is the floor-length, off the shoulder mermaid dress!

This is the only picture I got of the whole dress… the very awkward junior prom photo of DD and I, LOL! The kitty in the back is my fur-brother, Shockey (or maybe my fur-sister, Brees?).

The fabric is this techno knit from Cali Fabrics and I bought 3 yards, which was way more than needed to make this dress. I graded from a M top to a L at the waist and hips, which worked perfectly!

I didn’t get many pictures since my phone was being wonky, but there are some from the wedding!

Here’s the beautiful  bride with her closest friends! Don’t we all look fancy? It was such a pretty venue and such a fun wedding!

… a fun wedding with free-flowing booze, which I partook of before this photoshoot, obvs… #noregerts

A sassy bunch of southern ladies!

Here’s the dress in action. Check out my awesome dance moves during “Shout,” where I flopped around on the floor like a dying fish.

The handsome gentleman on the left is the very funny, very sweet groom. The lady in between me and Taryn is Mama Sew RED-Y! I win at getting lower than everyone else. ;-p

Needless to say, this dress lasted through the entire night, through thick and thin, through a few glasses of wine and crazy dance moves, and still looked amazing and remained comfortable! I got so many compliments on it from the bartenders and other wedding guests – I consider it a win!

Work

I had a good bit of fabric left over from the mermaid dress, so I decided to make a work-appropriate Wiggle.

This was taken after a full day of work, so yes, I totally did go out in public with a crazy bright pink lipstick that matches my dress. I wanted to be obnoxiously pink and happy that day. It worked because I got so many compliments and one employee even said I looked like a Barbie! Best. Compliment. Ever!

I love the scoop back. It creates a nice balance with the higher neckline in the front.

I also LOOVE how there’s a center seam in the back and it hugs my curves in all the right ways WITHOUT any adjustments. Did you hear that? NO ADJUSTMENTS!! Hallelujah!

Well, I guess I did make a couple of adjustments, but they were easy. I graded from a M top to a L waist/bottom and added 1 inch to the length. Next time I think I’ll add the inch at the waist since the hip curve starts a little high on me.

Although I was a little self-conscious about how figure-hugging this dress is, I think it makes a great work wear staple. You just have to make sure you have the right fabric for it… thick enough to suck you in like Spanx!

Weekend

And last but not least, I made a Wiggle t-shirt!

Erm, well, I actually wore this to work one day, too (yay for very casual business casual). I love how it pairs with my Zinnia Skirt!

This pattern is perfect for tees you’ll tuck in since it’s very conforming. It stayed put all day! Now if only I can say the same for the neckline… note to self: sweater knit does not do well with elastic necklines. Notice the pulling. 😦

But who cares because this outfit ROCKS!

And it goes well with jeans, too!

Shown here with my Ginger Jeans – I love being able to wear 100% me-made outfits!

The fabric is a hand-me-down from my friend, Dana, who was cleaning out her fabric stash. There was only about a yard of this fabric so I’m so happy I was able to get a whole article of clothing from it! I love the stripes and it kind of makes me feel like a pirate.

I did a sort-of-OK job lining up the stripes. But check out the different neckline! I swear, this pattern gives you so many options. It would be a challenge to sew them all!

Heck yes, always gotta love no extra fabric pooling at the lower back.

Well, that does it for the P4P Wiggle Dress pattern (for now!). Check out Amy’s versions here (from That’s Sew Amy) – her post inspired me to try out my work dress! Thanks for the inspo, Amy!

What are your thoughts on body con dresses and clothing? I think they’re fun but I definitely have to watch what I eat or else I’ll look a little too lumpy. But that’s what shapewear was made for, right?

-RED