Retro SciFi Queen: Ellie and Mac Wrapped in Love Dress

Yana -

When I got this fabric, I knew I had to give it a big enough canvas for the print to really show off. Ellie and Mac's Wrapped in Love Dress fit the bill of also being easy and fast to sew, and let's face it — we all need a quick win right now.

Materials & Supplies

Adjustments

The pattern recommends adjusting the side waist if you're taller than 5'5", and since I'm 5'8" I decided to follow directions :) I made a toile using a cheap knit fabric (it's too scratchy to use otherwise) of the bodice and a sleeve to check the fit.

You'll note that the waist is way too high for my natural waist (marked with a red line).  I also noticed that even though my measurements align with the L size, the fit was very loose (the shoulder seam sits lower on the arm than I prefer), so I also made a choice to size down to the M.

Overall, these are the adjustments I made:

  • Added 1.5" to the side waist of the bodice (at the adjustment line), so it fits my waist.
  • Added 2" at the bottom of the skirt (to account for heels).
  • Lengthened the sash by 8" (they always end up too short for me to tie, and this was perfect).

Pattern Review

The pattern was easy to assemble and sew, what more could you ask for?

This was the first time I encountered a pattern where the sleeves didn't have a designated 'front' and 'back' side. The front and back pattern was also the same (usually they're different because the armscye is different on front vs. back). I suppose this is because knits are more forgiving?

Still, I found myself wanting for a side dart, because you can see the fabric bunching up near the bust.

I was also unsure about why the back was split into two parts - was it to differentiate it from the front?

In some of the reviews I've read, people were concerned about the height of the slit.  I made it the recommended 10" and then seam-ripped about 1" because it wasn't high enough for me.  But honestly, the front panels overlap, so I'm not sure when anybody would even see the slit unless you are using very slippery fabric (which, to be fair, this isn't), or if you deliberately choose to show some leg.

I bought these silver pumps in March 2020 to "wear in the spring" and received them the day after we started indefinite work-from-home, so they haven't gotten much wear sob

Verdict

I'm happy with the combination of this fabric/print with the pattern. It's a nice-looking and comfy maxi dress that I may sew again with some adjustments for a closer fit.

And it has pockets!

For some reason my brain forgot how to properly do a hem for this dress, so you can see some wonky stuff happening on the bottom there.