DIY Met Gala 2023 Dress

Hey friends! My chandelier broke years ago and I saved all these gem pieces from it. I finally found the perfect project to add them to: a Met Gala/Chanel theme dress!

I had black velvet fabric in my stash too. When I saw the 2023 Met Gala theme, I put the two ideas together. There is a bit of bejeweled by Taylor Swift inspo as well!

Fabric

This fabric is black velvet from Fabric Wholesale Direct. I had about 2.5 yards left over from another project and pretty much used it all for this dress. It’s a 60” wide fabric. I made a dress for my daughter last year so the fabric went a far way!

It’s not a stretch velvet fabric, so if you’re using a this type of fabric for a stretch sewing pattern, you’ll need to size up and add a closure.

Pattern

The dress is the Sofia Sweetheart Dress by Stay Stitch Pattern Company. Since my black velvet fabric doesn’t have the required stretch, I cut one size larger than my regular size and added a zipper closure. I kept the seam allowance the same as the pattern. I pressed all the seams open. I made several mods to the Sofia Sweetheart dress detailed below:

Pattern Mods:

-Removed 1” from the bodice (if you’re short waisted I recommend this! I think it looks much better when the curve hits just under your natural waistline.

-I hand stitched bra cups to the lining. This was my first time adding bra cups to a dress! It’s tricky to get the right placement, I had to unpick and move them around a few times. they are so worth it because it helps the gems stay in place.

-Created a front yoke and back yoke pieces. I topstitched the front yoke to the bodice. For the back I sewed the usual right sides together.

-Made the back piece in two pieces instead of on the fold.

-Added a center back invisible zipper.

-Drafted a mermaid skirt piece. I did this by cutting the dress at the knee and slash and spreading the pattern to create a flare. I tapered the dress above the knee for a more fitted style. I meant to create more of a trumpet flare – in which case I should have cut a line at my mid-thigh! This style worked out though!

-Accidentally made the mermaid hem piece an inch too short! I did measure twice and thought I was adding enough for a hem finish, but it’s a bit short! I’ve realized I’m so terrible at estimating hem lengths. I either add five inches too much or not enough!

Styling

Instagram Story friends chose the red lipstick over a warm peach! I didn’t have as much time to spend on the makeup look, so in several of my pics the lipstick is faded or patchy! It’s a beautiful color though and I will be wearing this dress again in the fall!