Tag: Dress
Vintage 1950s Reversible Halloween/Christmas Dress – Simplicity 8085
I don’t often do holiday dresses because I don’t like that you can only wear them once or twice per year. However, since this dress is reversible, I get double the wear! I used Simplicity 8085 and novelty print cotton. The Christmas side is a …
1855 Ball Gown, Part 3 – Finishing – Simplicity 1728
Read part 1 and part 2. Once I had made the bodice and skirt, I tried them both on together and discovered a problem. As soon as I started to move, the bodice popped out of the skirt. I puzzled over how to fix this …
1855 Ball Gown, Part 2 – Skirt – Simplicity 1728
Read part 1 and part 3. The blue underskirt is the basic skirt from Simplicity 1728, gathered all around instead of pleating the front. The aubergine overskirt is 6.5 yards of chiffon with three deep tucks in the bottom third. I calculated the tucks so …
1855 Ball Gown, Part 1 – Bodice – Simplicity 1728
For my 1855 ball gown I chose a royal blue cotton percale with an aubergine chiffon for the overlay, which turned out to have the most wonderful iridescent, colour-shifting effect. I used the same base pattern as my 1860s ball gown: Simplicity 1728. I shortened …
Valkyrie – Butterick 4827 – Dyeing and Finishing
Dying the dress was a long process, but easy. I started by dying some scraps, experimenting with different fade times and combinations. I settled on 10 seconds per inch for the first 8 inches, then 1 minute per inch thereafter. To keep the bottom half …
Retro 1960s Holiday Dress – Butterick 5748
In 2016 I went to my very first company holiday party, so naturally I needed a new dress. The pattern is Butterick 5748, a retro sixties design which I’d had my eye on for a while. The bodice fabric is a remnant of cream taffeta …
George & Ginger Mood Dress
This dress incorporated so many new things! My first George & Ginger Pattern, first sew-along online and first time doing lace insert panels. I am delighted with how it came out. The pattern is the George & Ginger Mood Dress, with pockets added. The fabric …