Merchant & Mills Party Dress Hack

I knew when I saw this Merchant & Mills blog post about a Party Dress Hack using their popular Trapeze Dress pattern that it was going on my to-sew list. I had also just finished a Trapeze Dress, so it also seemed like perfect timing. I love the shape of the dress and the gathering at the waist. The red poplin fabric was stunning too. I kept my eyes open for the perfect fabric and found this 100% cotton from Art Gallery Fabrics in Electric Lime at Josephine's. This fabric is a little thicker than poplin, but it created a lovely drape. The hack is very clever, but it requires a large yardage of fabric, about five yards! You also have to do a minor bit of redrafting of the dress to create a bodice with a neck tie in the back. You assemble the bodice first and then sew the skirt into a tube that gets attached to the bodice, creating that neat ruffled edge and hem, so no finishing is necessary. It goes pretty quick. Managing such a big amount of fabric was maybe the hardest part. Unfortunately, I finished this dress at the beginning of September and didn't have a chance to wear it as the weather was starting to change. I love the neon lime color and the silhouette of the dress😍