DIY Animal print dress – Butterick 6705

Hey all! A new addition to the DIY wardrobe. This great leopard print dress…and yes, animal prints are neutrals to me. LOL!

Since late fall, I’ve been committed to sewing a cohesive collection and based it on a muted color palette: black, white, animal print, beige. I’ve been on a mission to get through as much of my perpetually evolving sewing plan for the season as possible and have turned out quite a few pieces. Check out this Simplicity 8982 Black Knit Dress and my version of the popular Meghan Nielsen Dawn Jeans to get a sense of the style I was after.

This dress fits right in and it’s the ultimate in femininity! Billowy sleeves. Key-hole neckline. Ruffles. Full skirt. It checks all the boxes and this look has my taste all over it.

The pattern used is Butterick 6705, View B released Fall 2019. There is a two layered ruffle for this view, but I opted for only one which was more than enough. The extra ruffle would have been sweetness overkill…even for me.

The key-hole neckline opening is actually very demure. Nothing spicy here. I’m a classic style gal, but if I make it again, I’ll make an adjustment so it’s more of a prominent feature.

The fabric I used is a gauzy cotton from Joann’s in a leopard print. Great to work with, but it snares a bit. Since the fabric is not 100% opaque, I lined it with an acetate from Joann’s as well.

Construction

1. Added a lining to the bodice and skirt. Simply duplicated the corresponding pattern pieces and constructed the lining in whole. I attached it along the armsyce of the raglan sleeve and neck edge. The dress and lining were serged together at the arm opening.
2. The lining hem length extends to the point of the ruffle attachment and is finished with a narrow hem.
3. The neckline finish calls for a double-folded bias tape that is folded over again once attached to the neckline. I opted to use a single fold bias strip made from the leopard print instead to reduce the number of layers.
4. The neckline is intended to have a closure at the front and back. I attached the neck binding in one continuous piece around the entire neckline therefore requiring a hook and eye closure only at the back.

Alterations

Surprisingly, no alterations. I did fit the dress more snugly at the bust down through about 2″ below that to keep it from being too full and more flattering to my shape.

Styling

This dress is a complete winner for me. If I can find the right fabric, it will be sewn again.