I made this dress several weeks ago, strictly on a whim, inspired by a wee baby’s dress I found at a yard sale and a blouse spied on Pinterest (via Casey). In my excitement and haste, I went about things rather haphazardly, throwing all caution to the wind. It’s made in a typical 1920s fashion, the skirt is created from a series of squares and rectangles sewn in various ways, not wasting too much fabric. 2 rectangles for the front and back, 2 slits cut into each, and a triangle (half a square) set into each slit is all the skirt is, easy to do but looks extra nice.
While I love wearing silk georgette, I simply do not like sewing with it (see my dress using this fabric). The nude fabric inset’s seams are a bit wonky. I think if I had planned better and not rushed, stabilized the fabric (or something) it would have turned nicer. All I can say is the next time I do a fabric inset like this, it won’t be with georgette! The bodice and hem are finished with a zigzag stitch and the back closes with a single vintage button (that I forgot to photography). I like to think it looks like an actual vintage garment and not something newly created.
But, despite the issues, I adore this dress. Unlike many projects I have sewn, I wore this out and about–to the pet store of all places…ha! Why wait for a fancy occasion to wear a fancy dress? And the color is gorgeous. I’m not sure how it looks on your monitor but I would describe it as salmon pink.
I have other sewing projects in the queue (as usual) that I hope to continue working on this weekend but I’m also going to start a knitting project, something I haven’t done in quite a while. (And it’s all I can think about even though it was 98 degrees yesterday!) I bought a skein of the prettiest mermaid green yarn that I’ll use to make this little scarflette. I’m just going to ease into knitting slowly before I jump into anything more complicated!
Have a splendid weekend.
Last year I picked up a couple of vintage dresses that needed some serious altering before I could wear them. Recently I decided to take a break from fall sewing to make the necessary changes; I don’t buy vintage to simply admire or learn from them but to actually use them and these were hanging in the to-do section of my closet for too long! They are somewhat delicate but I don’t mind, I’ll wear clothes until they fall apart (much to my mom’s chagrin).
One of the frocks mentioned I’ll share with you here. Post-alterations it’s now my favorite vintage dress! Once a 1930s floor-length gown it’s now a saucy, ethereal thing. It has its original hem; I just moved the whole skirt up to preserve the ruffle whilst moving up the waistline too. The waist before was more fitted (with a side snap closure) but now I can just slip it over my head. (Yay.) Lately I’ve been making or altering dresses/skirts to make them hit above my knees–a more flattering length for me–but I didn’t want this to be too short. Since the dress is sheer, my solution was to wear a slip underneath that was quite a bit shorter. And don’t you love the capelet? That tie!
Oh, yes, I added some thread belt loops so I can wear a ribbon when it suits my fancy. (I just read on Coletterie a great post about how to make such belt loops by machine although I make mine by hand.)
I love the look of winter white or cream during the cooler months. There is almost celebratory about it, especially when contrasted with dark or jewel tones. (The starry stockings, by the way, are J.Crew tights from the girls’ section that I refashioned. I no longer have a garter belt and for now they are staying up by sheer willpower.)
Tropical prints: the perfect subject for the hot weather we’ve been having down here in L.A. (I’m drinking iced decaf Kona coffee too–how appropriate!) Another reason for this post: a couple of weeks ago I stumbled upon this delightful article about tropical prints on BurdaStyle and since then I’ve wanted to share some of my Hawaii-inspired dresses with you.
People seem to either love or hate these “kitschy” and bold floral designs. You can already guess how I feel about them–I love ‘em! Always have, actually. Perhaps because they remind me of my Grandma or the ’40s. Or old men in Hawaiian shirts (so cute!).
The above dress is made from this vintage pattern, Advance #9054:
Fitting this dress…ack. The Princess seams are flattering but, if you’re not perfectly proportioned according to the pattern, trying to get the fit right in a pain in the bum. (At least it was for me; this dress took far longer than I would have thought due to sizing and other issues!) Overall though I’m happy with the resulting frock (me in Maui):
I found the cotton fabric at a store on a previous trip to Oahu. I love the violet and turquoise color combination and the huge tropical flowers.
Somehow, I misunderstood the pattern and the tabs ended up on the wrong side of the bodice…since I didn’t have enough fabric to cut a new front piece I had to cut and move the tabs over to the other side–d’oh!
Oh well. I like the buttons anyhow (vintage bakelite with mother of pearl).
I’ve also collected a few Hawaiian dresses over the years, inexpensive smocked tubes you can find at any ABC Store (love) or The International Market Place.
Oh look, my studio is a complete disaster! I feel like such a bad housewife sometimes. Anyway, the dress is cute and super comfy. And I just adore the minty green so much. This is a typical look for me during SoCal springs and summers complete with slip on open-toed shoes and vintage bag.
Here are some swatches of the other dresses I have, in the same style:
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