The Facts
Pattern:
Burda 7207, view B LH. A wrap style Beach Dress with flounce
Fabric:
Natural knit lace with tiny bit of stretch from Colorado Fabrics. (It looks a little like material for curtains imo.)
Techniques:
French seams & strap turning with needle
Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were finished sewing? Yes.
Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes.
Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
- I cut the largest size 18 and added 2” more. I had read on Pattern Review that it ran small. Ha! That was an understatement.
- I plan to move the straps from the sides to the top of dress.
Wear again? I haven’t worn it out yet. This is for our upcoming vacation in April.
Sew again? Perhaps with modifications (see below).
Recommend to others? Perhaps, if you have no curves what-so-ever.
Thoughts: I was really excited about this project. I was inspired by the Victoria Secret’s version.
It sewed up so easily and I learned a new technique for turning straps. However, the fit was not what I expected. I knew from PR that it ran small but was not prepared for all of the extra fabric pooling at the base of my spine. Even though I cut the largest size & added 2”, it was still a little too snug around my hips. It could be the lack of stretch in the fabric or my body-shape is not right for this pattern or it is designed for teenage girls.
I am really unsure if I will make this again. If I do, I will cut it in more of a triangle shape: tighter in the bust and looser in the hips. Or I may just make a tunic style beach dress instead.
Overall, I love the concept but am not as sure now that I have made it. Will I wear it though? Heck yes!
Tell me: What do you think? Make it again?
Denver Sewing Collective 
Actually, this is going to wound weird, but it looks to me like it’s too big for you. If it was narrower, you wouldn’t have the loose fabric hanging in the back, and it would pull everything up. It won’t fit all the way around your hips, but it’s not meant to. If you look at the long version, you can see that is has to spread quite a bit. The flounce on the short version helps account for this. Of course, that’s all if you want to make it like the Burda pattern picture.
If you wanted to make a copy of the VS wrap, you’d have to go even wider than what you have currently, preferably switch to a drapey jersey, scoop out the upper corners and attach the straps to that, drape under the bust instead of over, and be OK with the fact that it basically has no back at all:
It sure is an interesting concept! I was curious about how well the pattern worked on real people, which was what brought me to your blog. Thanks for sharing your results!
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Very interesting! I was wondering what you were going to make with that particular piece of fabric 🙂
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It’s weird that the back looks like that because the back in the envelope photo doesn’t look like that at all. I wonder if it runs small because the jersey is supposed to stretch around you? I had this on my infinite project list to make in a terry cloth but I might scratch that now. I swear I had a different wrap pattern but I can’t remember what now… maybe it was in a magazine. I was trying to find it with google and couldn’t but I did stumble on this beach wrap tutorial where she cuts a scoop out of the back to get rid of the baginess: http://laviediy.blogspot.com/2012/02/diy-20-minute-beach-cover-up.html
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I forgot to say, I really like the flounce on the bottom of your version!
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