Coffee Date Dress Into Peplum Top

The lovely ladies over at Project Sewn currently have a sew along going with the Coffee Date Dress. This is a fantastic, FREE pattern from The Selfish Seamstress. If you don't already have it in your collection, I would highly recommend it. This is actually one of two takes I did on the Coffee Date Dress. I will post the other look tomorrow. This is the second idea that came to me, and I have a thing for peplums...(as seen HERE, HERE, and HERE) so of course I needed to make this idea come to life.

To create this look, I simply cut the bodice front and back as per the pattern and added a half circle peplum "skirt" to the bodice instead of the skirt from the dress pattern. I was attempting to recreate this look from my pinterest page:

Source: http://www.polyvore.com/black_white/set?.embedder=3812847&.svc=pinterest&id=64829426

To create the pleats on the peplum I cut my peplum skirt block 3 inches wider to allow me material for the pleats. If you need to create your own block to use, I suggest referring to the circle skirt calculator found here and creating your own half circle skirt at the length you want. That is all you do to create your "peplum".

Top: DIY, Pants: Walmart, Shoes: Charlotte Russe, Clutch: Coach

I didn't follow the pattern instructions so I am not sure what it calls for, but I used a long hidden zipper that runs down most of the center back for my closure. I added a full bodice lining instead of a facing and placed the ruffles without the template, so mine may look a bit different than the original. I love this top, just wish I would have made it a tad bigger at the shoulders and bust so I wasn't so encased in it :) 

Shannon