This dress started with the fabric. I bought the fabric for the shop and when it came in, fell deeply and completely in love with it. It was so nostalgic for me, in part because of the vintage novelty print, but also because the print is actually of landmarks around Great Britain such as Buckingham Palace and Edinburgh Castle to name a few. I’ve been a huge Anglophile for eons now and love everything British, from High Tea to Bag Pipers in full dress. The varied and historic cultures within the British Isles holds a deep romance in my heart. It could be because of my respect & awe of the recently late Queen Elizabeth , my honeymoon in England & Scotland or because my first serious boyfriend was in a bag pipe band, but that story is for another time.

After deciding I HAD to make a dress with this fabric, I went about searching my stash to find a pattern. I really wanted something that was not too formal and that had a somewhat full skirt - something from the 50’s would be ideal. I settled on the Vintage Simplicity 2184 “Slenderette” pattern. It fit the bill, but was actually a little bit big in the chest. Everything else was fine.

So I made a slight adjustment on the pattern by removing fullness from the raglan armhole to 0” at the waist on both the front and back bodice pieces. Because I have narrow shoulders, I reduced the sleeve length through the top part of the sleeve, with the same amount of fullness I removed from the chest, through the front and back raglans. That correction changed the position of the shoulder/armhole in my favor. Sadly I did not photograph this correction.

What dreamy light there was on this Sunday Afternoon. I have never had the chance to wear this hat, but it was perfect for this day and this dress. This vintage straw Bergere was purchased from my friend Maria at her shop Moodswing, here in Alameda. She has lots of treasures hiding in there and the trip is soooo worth it.

The back of the skirt was comprised of 3 pieces, creating a nice a-line shape. The front skirt was one piece with three deep pleats. I wanted to use a pretty white cotton for the lining, but did not have enough to make the front skirt exactly the same as the pattern. So, for the front skirt lining, I used the back skirt pieces, dividing the Center Back piece into two pieces. It “just” worked but I got really lucky! the front edge of the lining fit just under the folded back front placket.

With the bodice I was not so lucky. I ended up cutting the bodice lining at the center instead of at the front edge. This meant the the lining did not extend all the way to the front edge of the garment which would make the button/buttonhole placket both too light and too sheer. I ended up sewing a piece of grosgrain ribbon directly over the edge of the lining fabric, which acted as both fabric and stabilizer. That was a close call.

Isn’t this print adorable? It also comes in a more neutral color way with only black gray and white. Both are gorgeous. Below you can see the dress nearly finished. It just needed buttons, buttholes and a sash.

I love making the inside of my garments look as pretty as the outside. So, in choosing to line the dress, I chose to keep the sleeves unlined, which meant that the lining needed to be stitched in to the armholes by hand. Another nice detail is binding the waist seam. It finished off the waist very nicely. And I always top it off with a label. I have almost 3,000 of them from a previous career, so let’s put them to use!

And my absolutely favorite detail? - Pockets of course! The dress was not originally meant to have pockets, so I added them, which really makes a difference when I’m working.

Here are all the details:

• Dress Pattern - Vintage Simplicity 2184

• Dress Fabric - The Sewing Room / Bonjour Teaspoon on Etsy

• Dress Buttons - Dark Natural Shell Vintage Buttons from both Lacis and Britex

• Hat - Mood Swing Market Alameda

• Shoes - Vintage Remix - Gabrielle in Ivory

• Basket Purse - Alameda Antique Fair

Until Next Time, Happy Sewing!

xo Jennifer