How are you all doing? I hope you all are getting ready for Christmas in a couple of days. So over the past year or so, I have discovered a lot of sewing vloggers via Youtube (e.g RunningNStyle, JudithDee, BrittanyJJones, SewOverIt and so on) who have been inspiring and motivating in terms of sewing. When Renata of Running N Style announced a sewing challenge titled #Thelittlereddressproject some months ago, I thought it was a really cool idea to bring the sewing community together during this holiday season. Even though I was deeply immersed in Biopharmaceuticals & Pharmaceuticals, I did not hesitate to start looking for fabric and pattern options while on study breaks...lol. I have always made something red for Christmas anyways in the past 2 years I have been sewing but they are a bit too formal, so I challenged myself to make something semi-formal that can easily be transitioned from a casual to a dressy event. I finally settled on a cotton stretch sateen from Mood I had swatched from a previous order. When it came down picking a pattern, I changed my mind so many times before settling on the newly released Basel Dress PDF Pattern. This dress took less than a day (about 8-12hours) to make and I am so in love with how it turned out. I actually plan on wearing it to my church's Christmas carol/party this Friday by pairing it with a gold belt and a pop of print with a pair of leopard print pumps. OMG! I have not even cut up my Christmas day dress yet...ha ha I need to get started asap!  P.S: for those that sew, I have a pattern review below...:)

 Pattern Review: Honig Design Basel Dress PDF Pattern

Pattern Description: Dress has an airy kimono sleeve, tulip skirt and comfortable fit, simple construction, easy lines and hidden pockets  with 3 variations included.

Pattern Sizing: It came in a size 1-9, see the size chart for finished garments measurements. I cut a size 6 based on my measurement and it fits kinda big. I did use a fabric with some stretch to it so that might be the reason it turned out big. Next time I would cut a size 5. 

Fabric Used: Mood Tomato Stretch Cotton Sateen (HERE)

Were the instructions easy to follow? Yes! the instructions were super easy. There is step-by-step tutorial HERE that can be used as well.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern? I really love the style of the dress, it reminds me of the silhouette of ASOS Wiggle Dresses that I have been trying to find a perfect pattern to recreate the look. I like that the pdf pattern has a print-at-home version and a copy shop version which I took advantage of since I didn't feel like taping a bunch of papers together. I just took the copy shop version to my local Fedex store and had it printed out for me. (Note that was a bit pricey but it's much more sturdier and will last longer than if I had printed it myself, I knew it was going to be a TNT pattern for me so I wanted a higher quality pattern paper that can be used over and over).

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made? I actually made a few changes, I disregarded lining the bodice of the dress and drafted a facing to finish the neckline. I added 1 inch to the sleeve and skirt length. Since I cut a bigger size (size 6) I increased my seam allowance from a 3/8" to 1/2" but it still fit kinda big, so I am definitely making a size 5 next.

Thank you so much for stopping by and have a blessed day!