Akram's Ideas

Last Dress of 2017 The Jennifer Lauren Mayberry Dress

In my latest on “The Sewing Table” Holiday/winter post, I mentioned that planned to make the Jennifer Lauren Handmade (JLH) Mayberry Dress. 

As part of the JLH pattern reviewer group I was given this pattern for free to review, however, the opinions of this review are all my own. 

The Mayberry Dress

If you’ve followed me for a while you know that I’m a big fan of the JLH Gable top and have made a few versions of that top now. 

So it’s no surprise when Jennifer put out a call for reviews I jumped at the opportunity and was lucky enough to get selected for the Mayberry Dress. 

A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
I’m so happy with my JLH Mayberry Dress

This is actually a dress I’d been eyeing for a while. I really liked the casual everyday look of the dress while still having a retro feel about it. 

The Construction 

The JLH Mayberry dress was a surprisingly quick and easy project, so much so that I actually have another version on my cutting table as we speak. 

A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
The asymmetrical style of the bodice gives this dress a unique look

This dress is a great everyday dress good to wear around the house or to run errands. 

A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
The pockets of this dress are such a great size

 

Depending on what fabric and accessories you choose it can also easily be dressed up, making it a great wardrobe staple. 

             
Sewing Summary
Date Dec 28  A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
Pattern: Jennnifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress
Version: Long sleeve version
Size: 18 graded to 20 
Notes & Modification: Graded 18 to 20 at the waist
Recommendations:  
Difficulty: Intermediate Beginner  Ratting:

Construction Notes 

  • Fit– The fit is really nice. I made a size 18 grading to a 20. The dress is meant to have a lot of ease and the drawstring waistband makes it easy to tuck in or loosen up when needed. 
  • Construction– All the pattern pieces matched up for me. The only issue I had was my fabric choose was a bit slippery so when cutting it came out a bit skewed but not enough to really make a difference in the construction. 
  • Instructions– The instructions were really easy to follow. I especially liked the instructions for using the seam allowance as the casing for the drawstring. I hadn’t done this process before and found the instructions helpful. 
  • Pattern Printing– I printed out the copy shop version as my husband has access to a plotter. Unfortunately, the plotter paper wasn’t wide enough so I still had a bit of taping to do but it took only a minute or two to put together. 
  • Any other thoughts? I love the pockets as they are the perfect sized pockets. I also really like the long sleeves and how they hang. Finally, the asymmetrical style of the front bodice and semi-shirtdress feel I think really makes this dress stand out. 
A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
Creating a casing in the seam allowance was a new technique for me

More to Come

As I said earlier I already have another one of these dresses on the cutting table and that won’t be the last. 

One of my favorite things about JLH patterns is that they are very practical but still have a very retro vibe to them. 

A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.
Can’t wait for my next Mayberry dress to get done

This is the last dress of 2017 but I’ve already got lots of plans for 2018. With that said I’ll be taking a little break in January to prep things for an all-new season of Akram’s Ideas. Stay tuned for season 3 starting on February 3. In the meantime, I might add a few posts to blog during my Youtube hiatus and of course, I’ll be active on social media. 

What are your plans for 2018? Have you made the Mayberry dress, what did you think of it? 

A quick review of my last make of 2017 the Jennifer Lauren Handmade Mayberry Dress and a tease of what's to come in Season 3 of Akram's Ideas.

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Akram Taghavi-Burris

designer, writer, educator, tech nerd, crafter, baker, sewer and vintage collector, who Brings Creative & Crazy Ides to Life.

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