Forget Me Not Adeline Wrap Top & Dress

Say hello to the most fabulous pleats I’ve ever seen on a sewing pattern! When Forget Me Not Patterns posted the sneak peek photo of this pattern asking for testers, it was a no brainer! The dramatic diagonal pleats caught my eye instantly and I have a weakness for wrap anything so I was sold in a second!

The Adeline pattern offers so many fun options and I loved all of them so I literally made them all! There is a peplum top or a knee length dress with a tulip shaped wrap skirt. You can have short or ¾ sleeves, plain or pleated. And there are two neckline options, plain or shawl collar. For my top version I made the plain neck and plain short sleeves. My dress version is full on fancy with shawl collar and pleated short sleeves.

My top is made from a yellow and white striped seersucker from Fabric Mart. The neckline and hem are finished with bias binding. This was really a wearable muslin that I made during the testing phase and some fit elements have since been updated. I also made one size too small… oops! Speaking of size, this pattern offers sizes 28 – 48, a bust of 28.5″ – 48.5″, waist of 21.5″ – 41.5″ and hip of 32.5″ – 52.5″. I made my top in size 38 but by the time testing was over, I had gained quite a lot of weight from isolation eating.

So for my dress, I made sure to go up a size to the 40 and it fits so much better. I made a ⅜” narrow shoulder adjustment and shortened the bodice by 1 inch. Then I made a big boo boo! I thought the skirt looked a bit big on me and proceeded to take it in. Then I stupidly serged and just kept going so I could finish in time for my photoshoot. I should have tried it on before serging! The shape was so much nicer before I took it in.. trust the pattern maker people! Lesson learnt!

Anyway the Adeline was such a fun and satisfying make. I especially loved constructing those amazing pleats. I was super intimidated by the pleated sleeves especially. I have never seen a pattern piece quite like it. But the construction is so clever and includes a facing that finishes it nicely. It was also my first time doing a shawl collar. I really enjoyed learning these new techniques and watching this pattern come together.

So I guess it’s safe to say I need to remake another dress soon, without interfering with that beautifully shaped skirt ofcourse! The next time though, I think I need to make a full bicep adjustment; not surprising since like I said.. I pretty much ate the whole house during this quarantine period. What was exciting for me was not having to do a full bust adjustment. The pleats create that extra room in the bust area and ofcourse with a true wrap style, you have a bit of freedom in terms of how tight you tie it around your waist.

I styled my top more casually; with a pair of distressed denim shorts, sandals and a cute pom pom basket purse. The dress I styled with a pair of red heels and some dangly marble earrings, definitely a fancier dressier vibe. I feel like both of these pieces are very versatile – they can be styled in various ways and worn to a multitude of different occasions.

Like I said I absolutely adore anything wrap style so this goes without saying… do yourself a favour and grab the Adeline!

Toodle-loo

Keira