For many summers I have lived in skirts and blouses. My legs are on the thick side and finding short or pants have always been difficult. This year I am thankful for the opportunity to sew clothes that FIT! I know you must understand what I am talking about with finding good fitting clothing. Before sewing, the scenario I was in looked like this; get to the store, find a garment, go to the fitting room with high hopes and leave four hours later feeling there is something wrong with my body. Since turning to sewing, I feel like a woman with the power to do something about my wardrobe. It's truly freeing! Do you feel this too? No more am I at the mercy of the styles of the season or the industry's slopers that they use in their garments. This summer is going to be fun, now I can sew shorts, a bathing suit or whatever I need, starting with this summer dress!
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| I am going to try the sweetheart neck line too. |
I am going to tweak it a bit but my plan is to make a couple of these dresses up for summer. This pattern is from the 1940's. It was pretty easy to construct even though it was unprinted. The sleeves were the hardest part, I am still not sure if I got them 100% right but they work. I had a little fun with the pockets and added some piping! Also, this was my first time using buttons and making button holes! I can't believe how much I have been sewing lately. What do you have planned for your summer wardrobe?
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| I added lace to the hemline |
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I am having a bad hair day! |
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| I was surprised that the pockets seem to slim the hips some. |
Have a wonderful vintage day!
Gina
This little dress is so clean cut and sharp I love it. The piping looks hard to me. Looks like you did a facing on the sleeve. Yeah I see you have to really as you have that split sleeve there. You are really great working with these vintage patterns and sew just beautifully. Nan
ReplyDeleteFabulous! Yes, making your own clothes is the best!!! I've been sewing for two years and I've never been happier with my wardrobe then I am now! I love being able to fit my body/style and it's so freeing!
ReplyDeleteI love this dress on you - so flattering. The style and fabric look comfortable and easy to wear. I love the white piping and buttons. They make the dress *pop* : ) And, the shape of the pockets is so fun! Love!
Nan, thank you, I have been working at them, it means a lot to read your comments, The piping wasn't too bad, just moved very slow! Have a good day!
ReplyDeleteThat came out fabulous. That's a greatTNT dress to hold on to.
ReplyDeleteThat is such an adorable dress! It looks so cool and summery. The piping is such a nice detail. :]
ReplyDeleteOh Susan what does TNT stand for, dynamite?Thanks for your sweet comment. Thanks you, Eva girl, it sounds like you had a good experience with sewing for yourself. I am following you now and look forward to seeing all your lovely creations!
ReplyDeleteSuch a cute dress and it's very flattering. That colour is perfect for summer :-)
ReplyDeletevery very nice on you!! like the colour and how it fits you// Just Great!!! i love it and thank you for vintage posts :)
ReplyDeleteHey VG,really love what you've done with the piping and looks like you've achieved a fantastic finish too!
ReplyDeleteI'm totally in agreement when it comes to sewing. Finally, being able to make things that fit and flatter my apparently "abnormal" shape is immense and I can feel my self esteem repairing itself! ;)
Px
I know what you mean about trying things on and thinking there's something wrong with you, not the clothes. So disheartening. This solution is brilliant and so pretty. Its a great pattern, and I imagine subsequent dresses could look very different depending on fabric choices, trims, etc. The piped pockets are so lovely, and the colour suits you well. 10/10 AGAIN!
ReplyDeleteVintage Girl,
ReplyDeleteYes, I know what it's like to go into a clothing store and not find clothing that "fits right." It can be very frustrating.
On a more pleasant subject, your summer dress looks like it would be comfortable to wear in the summer. I think you did a great job with the sleeves, and the pattern on the pockets are cute. You need to be my sewing teacher. :)
-LR
Gorgeous! I love the colour and the cut. And the piping gives it a little extra!
ReplyDeleteI'm so with you on the clothes shopping. I love clothes, but I really hate buying them!
This dress is so BEAUTIFUL! It's one of my favorites I've seen on the blogosphere! You did an absolutely fantastic job! The piping is fantastic and I love the white/lilac color combo! I can't believe this was your first time doing buttonholes!! They look great!
ReplyDeleteVery pretty and I love the piping around the pockets. It really makes the dress stand out.
ReplyDeleteCute Dress!! Hooray for Summer Dresses!
ReplyDeleteWow! Lovely job!! I like the plainness of it, and the color. Practical and easy to accent to make different. You look lovely in this. :) -Redhead Lynn (http://redheadlynn.blogspot.com/)
ReplyDeleteOh goodness...love your dress! You did a wonderful job on it!!! :o)
ReplyDeleteThat dress is super sweet and you look so lovely in it!
ReplyDeleteAmazing dress! The color is so nice and the fabric looks very soft and nice. Looks very good on you :)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to the day that my sewing skills are good enough to make dresses !
Miss P- I must tell you I got the idea for an everyday dress from you, you had posted your "go to dress" Every woman needs that kind of dress, so I tried my hand at drafting but wanted to try this pattern and it worked so well that I wanted it to be my everyday or as you call it go to! Hooray for you! I am glad you are getting your self esteem back!
ReplyDeleteRed head Lynn- I like the plainness too, it easy to wear!
Miss Margarita- I am not that good, really, reading the pattern is half the battle and sewing slow is good, you are more accurate I find. I do try to be snip every thread and look at the details but anyone can sew! Try it!
Mrs. Exeter- thanks, I wasn't sure about the color but love purple. I know what you are talking about with being disheartened in the Dressing rooms. I share your thoughts on this!
Lady Rose- Boy, I don't know if I could teach anyone to sew but I am having fun trying myself. When are you going to whip up something? I would love to see you sew.
Debi- Yes, buttonholes! Well they were not as easy as I thought they would be, took them out once! Thanks for your sweet comment.
Oh! I have the EXACT SAME pattern that I bought for $1 at a thrift store!!! I have made the dress. The sleeves are a bit tricky. You turn back the top of the sleeve and anchor it down. I messed up the bottom of the sleeve a bit, but it looks ok. There were not enough instructions with this pattern (unprinted pattern!) -- I guess back then more women had sewing skills and no more instructions were given!
ReplyDeleteTo make the sweetheart neckline, I used the wide mouth of a china teacup as a template, as no pattern for the sweetheart neckline, nor for a facing for it, was given! The teacup template worked fine and I used that to make my own facing for the neckline, too. It came out fine! I am still working on the peplum belt.
Your dress looks lovely!!
http://theheartofmary.blogspot.com/2010/09/finished-vintage-blue-and-white-polka.html Click on that or copy and paste it to your url bar, and see the finished dress!
ReplyDeleteDear Gina...
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful dress! Yes, you and I and Eva are in the same frame of mind. Sewing for fit! That is really where I am at the moment. My body has changed so drastically since the children and then the weight loss, that now, everything I used to wear is not fitting right.
Dresses - they are the best! You just slip one on and you are on your way :-)
Yours, as always, looks lovely and yes, the kind of pockets that come down along the sides are very slimming!
Thank you for sharing and for inspiring all of us to continue to sew! :)
M.
Vintage Girl, thanks for coming to my blog. No, there was no pattern piece for the facing of the sweetheart necklike whatsoever. The pattern pieces all had a letter etched into them, so nothing was missing. But, no pattern piece for the sweetheart neckline nor the facing to go with it was present! So, like I said, I made my own, using a teacup for a template, which worked well.
ReplyDeleteThe peplum on this dress is actually separate, not part of the dress! It is a peplum belt that you make separately and then belt on and button. I have not completed it yet, it will be white, and I am presently just using a black patent leather belt.
Yes, the sleeves were very tricky. I sewed them on as best as I could before realizing exactly what I was supposed to do with them. The tops of the sleeves are folded backwards like cuffs. I mistakenly folded the bottoms of the sleeves, under the arms, backwards, too, which I needn't have done, but you don't notice since they are under the arms.
In addition, this pattern was about three sizes too small for me, so I had to enlarge everything. I'll get you the link on how I made the dress.
http://theheartofmary.blogspot.com/2010/10/blue-and-white-polka-dot-vintage-dress.html Ok, here it it!
ReplyDeletehttp://theheartofmary.blogspot.com/2010/10/finished-pink-vintage-dress-with.html Here is a pink one I made. I'll get you a link to the picture of the pattern.
ReplyDeletehttp://theheartofmary.blogspot.com/2010/10/vintage-patterns.html Here is that one. Sorry for posting so much. So cool to see you had the same pattern as I did (in your post here).
ReplyDeleteWhen I saw the picture of this dress in my blog feeder I couldn't wait to go to your post and see more. This dress is so amazing - it is perfect for summer. The color is great on you - and I love the piping details.
ReplyDeleteI also understand about the shopping bit. I've been depressed more than once after trying to find something with the perfect fit and walking away empty-handed. It is so great that sewing is giving you confidence - because you have a great body - one hot little lady ;)
This is darling! The dress is so pretty on you, and it looks wonderfully comfortable too. The piping impresses me. :) Enjoy making the others!
ReplyDeleteGina this is a lovely dress!
ReplyDeleteIt suits you very well and you did a great job of sewing it.
I really like the colour and the pockets :-)
I enjoy seeing the pretty garments you make.
Blessings..Trish
This is adorable! You're soo good at making dresses! I love the piping detail and the buttons are really sweet. I wish I could make dresses like this! I can't wait to see you make a 'bathing suit' (in England we call them swimming costumes or bikinis) :-) Keep up the fabulous work! xxxx
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely darling dress, well done! BTW, you look fabulous in the dress and your legs are shapely, feminine, healthy and not "thick". Glad I stumbled upon your site.
ReplyDeleteCertainly, it is wonderful to sew ... It's a liberation of mind and a range of possibilities open to hold your head all you can imagine. That dress is great! Love the white pipe in contrast with the color of the fabric and the pockets are super-original!
ReplyDeleteGee, Ladies thanks so much!
ReplyDeleteAnnabelle-You are so sweet!! Thanks
Trish @ Lily-Rose Cottage- Blessings to you too!
Jen-thank you the piping was fun to add.
Rosy-sounds like you are very creative, what a wonderful gift to have
Chloë- Thanks sweetie, I am trying real hard, you can do it too!
I know I'm a little late commenting on this one, but I adore this dress! Fabulous job! The cut fits you perfect (empathise with you on the shopping thing), and the color is beautiful with your skin tone and hair.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness. I love this dress. Great job! I am slowly learning patterns and my goal is to work up to understanding vintage patterns.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness... yet another darling creation! :) I love the original pattern too; such a beautiful style from that decade.
ReplyDeleteI totally know what you're talking about with ready-to-wear clothes shopping. Before I got really serious about sewing/altering my own wardrobe, shopping was always fraught with lots of disappointment and frustration. It seemed like I could never, ever fit into anything correctly (especially with pants/jeans; I'm proportioned totally opposite the way most RTW companies expect! lol). But now, no more! :D Keep it up with your sewing, Gina--it's so fun to follow along with your latest creations!
♥ Casey