I haven’t sewn anything from a pattern since 2012. I felt a bit guilty about the all the patterns I bought (back in 2012 when I was naively optimistic about my sewing skillz) and never used, ergo I dragged out the sewing machine and gave it another go with Butterick B5030.
I will not tell a lie, I feel like a bad bitch in this dress.
B5030 is a wrap dress that’s rated Easy. I think that’s an egregious falsehood, but sewing is not my strong suit.
It’s not entirely finished yet – I still have to put in another hook and eye closure (the bane of my existence) and put in a few stitches to hold the collar down, lest it pops up and I start to resemble Maleficent.
I chose leopard print fabric because why would I not choose leopard print fabric.
Overall, I’m very pleased with how it turned out, but there are a few issues. I always have to choose a pattern one size too large so that it fits over the bust, which leads to fit problems elsewhere. This dress is no exception, it gapes open at the top because I have to pull in the waist so much to get it to fit correctly. If I went a size down it would fit perfectly on the waist but my chest would look like a stuffed sausage. It’s the never-ending problem. I’m not experienced enough to modify the patterns yet to fix this problem, so for the time being double-sided tape (and possibly more hooks and eyes) shall be my best friends.
But, overall, I’m pretty pleased with myself on this one.
See you later!
Black Spruce Hound 
So pretty! What a lovely fabric and dress pattern. I love how the skirt flows and flatters. And such a nice length. You should be very pleased with your results. Plus, you found the perfect shoes to complete the look.
Thank you! I love a dress that hits below the knee. Every time I wear one above the knee I always think the wind is going to blow it up. Which has happened, actually, but that's another story.
I really like your dress! I'm working on a muslin (just enough to cover my hip,as I'm thinking of making a wrap shirt too),view C but I decided that I don't like the neck band even though it gives a little bit more chest coverage. Maybe it's just me but I could not understand the directions so I'm ditching that band for now. I'm going to make one line yours, With the collar and without the neckline edging… those sleeves! It gives a vintage look with the wide collar , I can see why you feel like a bad bitch in that dress, LOL! You should post your pic and review/opinion of this pattern on http://www.patternreview.com. There are plenty of sewists there who can give you tips for a better fit for the girls. There are a lot of women out there who sew their own clothes because stylish RTW clothes are made for mannequins and not real women.