Verity Vintage Studio

Catch Up Post: Pink and Gray 1950s Dress

I was going through my projects from 2020 in order to do my annual yearly sewing roundup, when I realized that had never posted photos of this 1950s dress I made last spring. So this is a catch up post to get all my finished projects out there!

 

This was the trial of a new 1950s dress pattern, and there were so many fabric combination possibilities that it was hard to decide. But this pretty pink quilting cotton had been on my to-do stack for a while, and I decided this would be a good fit since I could put another color close to my face. 

 

That other color was the actually the wrong side of the gray cotton jacquard I used for my Palm Sunday outfit. I don't usually mix prints, but once in a while I get adventurous. 

 

The jacquard raveled really easily though, which made it hard to work with while doing the scallops and points on the yoke. As a result, the points aren't as pointy as they should be. Another time I should be able to do a better job if I use a crisper fabric. 

 

I top stitched it with a decorative stitch on my machine, and also top stitched the cuffs to add a bit of trim.

 

Other than fiddling with the scallops, it was a basic make. I did not get the fit perfect - again something I would tweak if I make it again. (And with so many color possibilities, I probably won't be able to resist!)

BUT I did get a fabulous photo prop with the vintage truck that my brother owned at the time. Look at the details! Sun was a little bright, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity for fun photos. 

 

This was also the first outing for my now favorite shoes by Rocket Originals. Can't recommend this style highly enough. Comfortable and classy, butter soft suede with adorable toe and strap detail. I've worn them all day when I was on my feet a lot, and they performed better than most heels. You can dance in them too!

 

Despite the imperfect fit, this project turned out nice. I intended it for a house dress, but I like how dressy it can be too, with the right accessories. 

 

Imagine how cute this would be in blue and white gingham with white eyelet for the yoke and sleeves. Pretty sure that's going to be on my list for spring!

I'm always looking for interesting dress patterns that open down the front, and this was a fun variation. Can't believe it took me this long to blog about it!

Quick & Easy Pullover to Cardigan Makeover for Christmas

Due to a crazy fall – deadlines, house renovation and moving, and a family loss – I have not sewn anything since the first week of October. This means I haven't even started on my Fall/Winter sewing list, and the winter is half over. But on the other hand, it also means I have enjoyed getting more wear out of previous makes. And also did more small projects, like turning this pullover into a cardigan.

 

This sweater is a duplicate in ladies' size of one my brother got last Christmas. I liked it so much I tracked down one for me, but when it arrived I wasn't sure if I wanted to try to shorten it to a more flattering length, or turn it into a cardigan.

 

It stayed on my mending/alteration rack for a whole year.

Just before Christmas when I was thinking about what to wear Christmas Day, I remembered this sweater. After some debate, I decided that I would get a lot more wear out of it as a cardigan, so here's how I altered it.

1. I matched the side seams (you can also measure & mark the center) and cut it down the center.

Next, I fused a 1” strip of fusible interfacing to the underside of each cut. I've tried making pullovers into cardigans before, but this is the first time I used fusible interfacing – and it makes a huge difference! It keeps the edges from fraying while you work, and keeps them from stretching out of shape.

 

At this point you could just fold over the front edge and hem it, but this sweater was already a bit small for me and I didn't want to take any extra fabric. So I sewed single fold bias tape to each raw edge, unfolding it all the way out and stitching along the fold line.

 

Next all I had to do was fold it in, tuck down the top and bottom edges, and hand stitch it. Catching just the underside of the knit makes an invisible seam.

 

All done! I could have added buttons and buttonholes at this point, but as I said the sweater was already tight for me, so an open front cardigan was best. I definitely would try the buttonholes for another project though to make it a true button-down cardigan.

 

There are lots of other ways to make pullovers into cardigans, including totally unpicking the seams and cutting it down if it's too large, or adding decorative stitches or trims to the front to hide your seams. This is just the way I did it for this one.

 

And as I anticipated, it gets a lot more wear as a cardigan. Already it's my go-to winter sweater.

 

I just love the vintage styling of the decorative yoke, while at the same time it looks festive for Christmas but not so Christmassy that I can't wear it for the rest of the winter.

 

So there's a quick and easy sweater refashion for the colder months! Next time when thrifting if you see a pretty pullover but you're a cardigan girl, you can go ahead and get it, having the confidence that you can turn it into a winter closet staple.

 

I may have a few other sweaters that need this treatment now that I know how fast and effective it is!

 

Free Pattern: Quilty Retro Ornament Potholder

It's been a long time since I've done a free pattern during the holidays! This year I have been so busy that my Christmas celebrating was started late, but I was eager to do at least one Christmas craft once I had the chance - so I stitched up this design idea just in time for the holidays.

 

I love vintage ornaments, fabric, and English Paper Piecing appliqué - so I combined all of those with this fun fast potholder that is so easy to adapt and customize. 

 

I'll walk you through the steps for how I made mine. 

I started with a rough 10" square of fabric for the top, fabric for the backing, and 2 slightly larger pieces of cotton quilt batting (I didn't think one was thick enough). It's a great way to use up quilt batting leftovers, by the way. 

 

Layer the pieces of fabric on each side of the quilt batting to make a sandwich.

 

Now it needs quilted. I think it would look fun in diamonds, or you could go super basic and do straight lines. But I decided to do snowflakes on a string, since it's a holiday design.

You could do this with a free motion foot, but if that's not your thing, you can do it with a walking foot too. You can totally measure it and mark where you want each line and each snowflake. I decided to just eyeball it, since I was fine with some differences and irregularities. Not being a perfectionist. 

 

Starting off the edge, stitch a straight line an inch or so into the fabric, then stop. 

 

Turn the fabric a few degrees and reverse your walking foot. Stitch a few stitches (you can count them if you want perfectly uniform snowflakes, or just go with different sizes - kind of like real snowflakes).

Stitch forward over those few stitches and several more on the other side, to make the first arm of an X. 

 

Stitch back into the center so your needle is back on the original line; turn again to make the second arm of the X and repeat the forward and back stitches. 

 

Now turn your fabric and stitch at right angles to the original line, ending in the center.

 

Rotate the fabric back to the original position and stitch the string again. You can make these snowflakes as far apart or as close as you wish.

 

When you start the next line, stagger the snowflakes so the ones on this line alternate between the ones of the previous line. I made my lines about 1 inch apart.

Repeat until the fabric is all quilted. 

 

Then trim it down to size. I trimmed mine to 7 1/2 inches.

 

Now figure out what EPP shapes you want to use for your ornaments, and how to place them. I originally planned to use all round ones, but I realized some of my other papers would also work for ornaments, so I ended up using 2 1" circles, 1 2" orange peel, and 1 1" square. And picked some of my favorite fabrics from my favorite new Christmas line by Riley Blake, Santa Claus Lane.

 

You can use the traditional card method, if you're familiar with English Paper Piecing. I like to use fusible leave-in papers from Hugs 'n' Kisses (also very beginner friendly), so that's what I'm using here.

To use these, you fuse them to the wrong side of the fabric. I did some careful placement to make sure I had a tree and the Santa centered. 

 

Cut out the shapes, leaving about a 1/4" edge. 

 

Then turn the edge under and glue them. I used just a regular craft washable glue stick. 

 

To do the circles, you want to do a small portion of the edge at a time, and press the edges straight in to avoid puckering.

 

Once all the shapes are glued, they are ready to appliqué. Arrange them how you want the finished product to be, and secure with a few drops of fabric glue.

 

You can appliqué by hand or machine. I did mine with the blind hem foot on my machine. You want to make your stitches small, and use thread that matches your background fabric - not the appliqué. 

 

You also want to make sure to catch all the corners and tips with a left swing of the needle. 

 

After all the shapes are appliquéd, embroider the strings. I wanted to use gold metallic embroidery floss and didn't have any, so I ended up using some vintage rayon embroidery floss that had some sheen to it. 

 

I only embroidered through the top layer so the back looks tidier. I also added a few lazy daisy stitches at the top of each ornament - this could easily be omitted if preferred. 

 

Now you can finish the edge with your preferred method. I chose to use regular double fold binding out of my sewing stash. If you choose to do this, unfold it completely and align the raw edges, then stitch in the crease line. 

 

Instead of hand stitching the binding down invisibly, I used green embroidery floss to do big stitch quilting to secure the binding and help tie in the colors. 

 

You could call it done now - I wanted to use mine for display rather than a pot holder, so I added a bow and loop at the top for a decorative hanger. 

 

All finished! A quick Christmas craft that would be a perfect addition to your kitchen, or a gift. It's fun to make, too.

 

I love the pops of pink and aqua that gives the fabric a more retro feel. 

 

The striped orange peel ornament is hands down my favorite!

 

(Incidentally let us take a moment to appreciate some of my favorite vintage glass ornaments which inspired this craft!)

 

The appliqué ornaments would also be fun to decorate before stitching in place - maybe put a strand of tiny rickrack across one of the round ones, or embroider something. 

I hope if you try making one you enjoy it, and share the finished project. It's so fun to see all the creative different varieties people come up with!

 

Now I'm off to hang it in my retro kitchen and cross another Christmas cookie off my baking list!

Last Rose of Autumn - 1930s Dress

We have just one thrift store in our rural area, but it is such a good one and has such good prices. I regularly find all sorts of amazing vintage things there (not to mention children's clothing for 25 cents or less, for my two growing toddlers). I might go there several times without finding any nice fabric, but other times I get a fabric haul that makes up for it. Such was the case with 3 yards of this beautiful crinkled vintage fabric, which I got for $1 or less. (At the same time I found some pink vintage rayon with scattered tulips on it - destined for spring sewing!)

 

It is probably from the 1950s. I just love the large abstract roses on it, and the unique finish and nice drape. It's so hard to find good large print, vintage suitable fashion fabric these days. A knowledgable friend told me it is viscose, so I washed it in cold water, and it only wrinkled slightly. 

 

I had plans for it. I even made up a trial dress of the 1950s pattern I had planned to use with it. But when I went to cut out this version, I realized that the very narrow width of this 3 yards meant there was no way I could fit all the pieces on it. I didn't want to add a contrast, or cut the sleeves from something else, so I had to scrap my original pattern idea, and pick something else. 

 

I have all my patterns catalogued on my phone, so I don't have to dig through them all the time. I scrolled through, looking for something that had only a few pieces, and that would work well with the fabric. I settled on this 1930s pattern - which providentially enough, I had just made a few months earlier as a color block version - so it was a trial dress without knowing it!

 

The pattern pieces - there were only 7 of them - fit on it very well, and I even had a bit of extra fabric leftover. I substituted a sleeve from another 1930s pattern, to change things up a bit. It's fun to see how different the two dresses are made by fabric choice.

 

I made a self belt and used a lovely vintage shell buckle I had bought from a UK seller on Instagram. 

 

The new hat I had gotten last time I went antiquing in Boise was the perfect match. It's so pretty! I love the delicate chenille-dotted net veil.

 

All my other accessories are vintage as well. I think this is the only set of pictures I got this year with the pretty yellow tree in my front yard, because just as it was turning gold we got a storm which took most of the leaves off, sad to say. 

 

Despite the fabric being a later date than the pattern, I think it ended up a happy match. It's very simple, yet elegant. Here I paired it with brown, but other colors work as well - and it's a nice bridge between seasons. I am so pleased with being able to bring this lovely vintage fabric to life, and enjoyed wearing it to several autumn weddings.

 

My fall sewing has been nonexistent since I made this dress in early October. I had a bunch of deadlines keeping me busy, and then on top of that we found out we needed to move, and the prospective new house needed some renovations. So my days have been crammed - the only sewing I've been able to do has been snatching moments to work on the current quilt in my design lineup. 

I do have a few other fall garments finished to the handwork stage, but this is the only one I've completed thus far.

 

But, for my one and only finished fall project, it's a good one!

Rare Brown: Floral 1950s House Dress

So, a long while ago I got this cute vintage cotton on eBay. It was a lot of yardage for a good price. When it arrived I wasn't sure I liked it too much after all, so it sat on my shelf for a long time. Finally I decided to use it as a trial for a house dress pattern I'd also had on my sewing queue for a long time. 

 

The pattern is simple, with a scalloped or plain asymmetrical front opening and optional scalloped patch pockets. I wasn't sure I would be able to nurse in a side opening front, but decided to try it. If it worked, it would be a nice change from the traditional button front dresses I have been using. 

 

Even with all the yardage, the fabric was narrow enough that I used most of it. And I also do not enjoy cutting out so many pieces - the bodice pieces meant I had to cut each one out single layer, and as usual I got the facings the wrong way and had to recut them!

 

It was quite straightforward sewing...I was not quite sure how much I would like it, but plowed through and finished it anyway. 

 

When I tried it on before hemming, I was surprised to find that I liked it on me quite well after all!

 

I also found the neck was too low, so I hand stitched on a piece of white eyelet lace to fill it. Another time I would simply add another scallop and cut the neck higher. 

 

The busy fabric kind of hides the scallops a bit, so I chose large buttons to help emphasize it, and top stitched around the neck (keeps the facing in place handily too!)

Also, in case you are curious, it did work for nursing access.

 

The pockets have functional buttonholes. Obviously you have to unbutton them in order to use them properly, but I do like that when buttoned shut they don't catch on cupboard door handles and tear. Plus they are so cute when buttoned like that. 

 

This is probably the only brown thing I've made all year. My fall sewing looks to be pretty nonexistent this year since my schedule is way too crowded, and fall is when I usually break out any earth toned fabric I may have, so this may be my only brown sewing project until later this winter. But it's a fun one!

 

The print is so unique. I like the splashes of salmon and blue and green that liven up the brown. That's what I like about vintage fabric - their color combinations are so unexpected and unique! It is a thinner vintage cotton, however, and does need pressed before wearing - which means I wear it less than I might otherwise. 

 

I took photos in my mom's new retro kitchen in front of her amazing yellow and white 1950s stove (as nice to cook with as to look at!), but the sunshine coming in the window was a bit bright, so we also took photos outside. 

 

So even though I had moments of boredom with this project, thinking I wouldn't like it that much, it's a good lesson in why to persevere. You may love the result after all!

Green Early '40s House Dress

I liked this fabric so much I ended up accumulating 3 different dress lengths of it. I used one of the three for this fun early 1940s dress.

 

The pattern was a recent addition. I'm always looking for button front dresses with interesting or unique details, since I wear so many of them and a lot of patterns can look alike. This one had some pretty neck detail, and a skirt with front pleats. 

 

It did not take long to make - nothing too difficult here.

 

I just love the pretty 1930s print! It is a quilting cotton, but has a surprisingly large print for a quilting cotton - and is so very retro. 

 

The plain neck is comfortable for everyday wear, but also makes a good backdrop for collars. I have a lot of vintage ones, so I can switch out the look easily, but ended up making a new one from a free pattern pdf I downloaded from Wildflower Designs. 

 

The pattern shows one with facing and interfacing, but I decided to use this delicate embroidered dot fabric and just do a single layer, hemming the edges instead. 

 

It was very bright out when we were trying to get pictures of this dress, so I'm not very pleased with how I look in the photos, but at least it is documented. After all, we can't look glamorous all the time - and the ladies of yesteryear did not always look perfectly put together either, despite the ads and movies that depict them as such. :-)

 

The dress fit is not perfect, but is certainly wearable. I would make some minor tweaks if I do it again.

 

I liked a chance to use these green vintage glass buttons from my stash as well.

 

I made the last minute decision that it needed a bit of sleeve trim, so added some rickrack under a decorative sleeve band, just half of it showing through. I love the delicate little points it provides - one of my favorite ways to use 1/2" rickrack.

 

The dress was simple to make and wear, so there is not much to tell! I look forward to styling it with different collars in the future.

 

One of my favorite green house dresses made a long while ago is on its last leg, so this may be a replacement. After all, I can't have an entirely blue wardrobe. :-) 

all photos by Elsie's Adventuring, as usual

Mini Makeover: Decorating a Thrifted Blouse 1950s Style

Today's post is the last one of the photos I took while on vacation in Oregon in August. It's hardly worth calling a makeover, but I decided to go ahead and share the process even though it's a simple one, in case you need some easy inspiration for how to make a modern wardrobe more authentic.

 

It started with this striped cotton blouse that I found at the thrift store. It's a nice fabric and perfect for everyday. Also it had some cute details! But it looked too shirt-like for me, so I decided to dress it up.

 

It had a classic collar and yoke, both common elements in vintage styles, and while most vintage blouses are darted or tucked to be more fitted at the waist, the tuck-in style does exist. Also the cuffs were already cute!

 

So I took advantage of the double top stitching lines and made them more noticeable with some hand work. Just 2 colors of embroidery floss - running stitch around cuffs and collar edge, and some little bound bows on each pocket and sleeve. 

 

To make the bows, I just stitched long straight stitches back and forth, then bound it around the center with a contrast color. 

 

Just for fun, I reversed the colors for one bow only. This was inspired by all the quirky random novelty sweaters I saw on Pinterest.  But of course you could make them all match, or go with another style of embroidery entirely. There were so many possible options!

 

I also did a running stitch on the back yoke, to make the yoke more noticeable. 

 

I wore it the morning we did our train ride, and the train made such a lovely backdrop! I wish I had an old train car like this close by for photo shoots, but we can't have everything. :-) 

It's a nice casual 1940s or 1950s style that can easily cross back to modern if desired. Here I paired it with a skirt I made a while ago from a 1940s pattern, and of course my favorite white casual shoes from Rocket Originals. 

 

It's amazing how much more feminine the blouse is now with just the simple addition of some easy freehand embroidery. Someday I'd like to do something more elaborate, but for now this works just fine.

Though I remember now I had also intended to swap out the buttons for something nicer and totally forgot! But that's another great way to change a garment's style or make it more feminine, as well. 

 

So if you are looking for a cost-effective way to add more vintage to your closet, keep an eye out for classic styles at the thrift store - and add some little touches yourself. It's a great way to build your vintage wardrobe, make it entirely unique, and budget friendly too!

Bluebird Blue 1930s Housedress

A little while ago I found a vintage pattern on eBay that I was so happy to get. It was very similar to another pattern I've owned for a while, but have not been able to make because it doesn't open down the front and I didn't feel like altering it so significantly. This one had the same features - pointed yoke with triple darts & little fold down collar with a plain neck option - but had a button front! Once it arrived, it quickly jumped to the top of my queue. 

 

I picked a favorite quilting cotton print in my stash to pair it with. I love this fabric so much - the blue is so vibrant, and the little coral and pink roses make it a bit different color scheme than most of my blue dresses. 

 

It does hide the details a bit (though they are more noticeable in person). I should make this pattern again in a solid color, maybe a jeweltone wool for fall so you can actually see the design elements. But meanwhile I am still happy with this dress.

 

 

It was pretty easy and quick to put together. My only trouble with fit is the back of the neckline gapes a bit, so next time I will adjust that. 

 

I have had these lovely peach buttons in my stash for a long time, always wondering what I could use them on, since they are so pretty but not a color I often wear. Once I was auditioning choices for this dress, I promptly settled on these since they are the same shade as the roses. I'm so happy to finally have the perfect use for them!

 

There is still enough white in the print to wear a white belt with it, though, and I tied that in by deciding at the last minute to add a rick rack insert to the sleeves, just for fun. I really like how it turned out! I used to think rick rack was only used for top stitching, but since I've found other creative ways to use it, it has risen in my estimation. Inserting it this way is a different way to add trim than just tacking something on at the hem all the time.

 

I really like how the triple darts shape the front, and also the dart fitted sleeves are a favorite detail. Again, they are hidden a bit by the print, but I know they are there. :-)

 

 

It's an easy to wear house dress, comfortable and cheery, suitable for various seasons. It doesn't show dirt easily, and doesn't need an extra layer on top. 

 

I'm happy to add this pattern and this fabric into my weekly everyday wardrobe rotation!

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Vibrant 1930s Colorblock Dress

Taking a short break from vacation outfit pictures to show you this fun dress I made back in July, and took me ages to get pictures of. 

 

It had quite a long evolution too. I got the retro blue flowered rayon from JoAnn when it went on clearance a few years ago. Modern rayon that is suitable for vintage sewing is hard to find, so I got enough for two dresses, but it sat on my shelf for a while.

Then about a year ago at an antique store I got the pink fabric - not sure how vintage it is, because it feels synthetic, but it certainly was a pretty print with retro styling. Just so very, very pink! I honestly wasn't sure I'd ever use it (certainly not as a whole blouse!), but rather than sell it again, kept it also on my shelf for a while. 

 

Then one day I rediscovered this 1930s dress pattern that was an early project I made 5 years ago. I realized it really was a cute pattern that just might work for nursing, and wanted to make a better fitting version now that I am more experienced. Just on a whim, I pulled both these fabrics off the shelf and draped them on my mannequin. I'm usually pretty conservative with my fabric combinations, so using two very different bold florals in such bright shades was a first for me - but the pink was exactly the same color as the little flowers, and the crazy combination actually worked for me. Besides, many vintage dresses from this era were just as flamboyant. 

 

So I made it not much later - it's quite a quick project. The rayon from JoAnn has a lovely print and drape, but was a bit disappointing to work with. Everywhere I put a seam, the needle pulled little white threads - and there was a flaw in the fabric on the fold, too. Hopefully not too noticeable, but not very high quality - especially for the price they were originally asking for it!

 

I had to use two colors of thread for the hem, and also switch thread colors part way through sewing. I tried to minimize that by sewing as much with one fabric at a time as I could.

 

I love the little shoulder details. They were really fast and easy to do, yet help to make the dress interesting. 

 

I finished it up but didn't wear it for a while. One Saturday night I decided I'd wear it for church the next morning, and tried it on. I'd been planning to wear a white belt with it, but that just did not look right. The photo on the pattern shows a tie belt with a bow in front, and that really does suit it best. So at 10:00 at night I ended up quickly making a sash out of rayon leftovers, and altering the back a bit to fit me better. Rather last minute, but it worked!

 

I paired it with some vintage accessories, including a 1950s hat that was the only one which would work fairly well. Thankfully it was a classic shape that also works for the 1930s - they alternated between dramatic hat lines far over the forehead and little round hats for the back of the head (think of Margaret Sullavan's hats on Shop Around the Corner.) But since these pictures I've actually gotten a 1930s hat that would be perfect. Too late for these pictures, but maybe next time I wear the dress!

 

I was able to achieve a bit more 1930s hairstyle than my usual by not brushing so much and leaving it more in ringlets. 

 

The front closes with just a brooch, and was quite easy to nurse in. It is so nice to have a different style that doesn't either button or zip up the front! 

(Sometimes it's also fun to play with editing a bit.)

 

I wanted a more formal setting to take pictures in than golden Idaho rangeland, and once winter is here will want good indoor locations anyway, so we experimented with my mom's parlor and I think it worked quite well. I rather like the different lighting it provided. Not shown are the two toddlers clamoring to climb up on the other end of the piano bench. :-)

 

Who knows...maybe I will become more adventurous with my fabric combinations in the future since this one had a happy ending.

 

I haven't made very many 1930s outfits this year, so this one is a nice addition. Plus it's so unusual for me that it makes me extra happy!

 

All photos by my lovely sister from Elsie's Adventuring.

1950s Magnolia Dress

I made this dress back in July and never got photos of it, so it was another one I brought along on our recent Oregon coast vacation in order to take pictures there. It was too windy to take many pictures on the shore, but the fading flowers beside the house we were staying in made a nice backdrop too. 

 

Of course I realize now the flowers on my dress aren't actually magnolia blossoms, but I had already made a habit of thinking of it as my magnolia dress so that's what I call it anyway. It actually was made from a thrifted sheet - a favorite of mine to work with if I can find one nice enough! The sturdy cotton/poly fabric doesn't wrinkle, wears well, and it's so wide there is no problem fitting a circle skirt onto it. This one was particularly nice since it features a large print (hard to find!) and it's a good color for me that's not blue. ;-)

 

I combined two patterns for this dress - the bodice is the one from this dress pattern, but I changed it up with some dense pin tucks on each side, just for some subtle decoration. I chose it because I wanted one that fit me well, and was basic enough that I could decorate it a bit.

 

The pin tucks took up about 1/2" from the bodice width. I think I cut the side seams a bit wider to allow some extra room. If you were going to do a lot of pin tucks, you might want to do them first on your fabric and then cut out the pattern pieces. But these few weren't enough to concern me.

 

The skirt was a circle skirt from a different pattern, and I actually pinched some of the fullness out when I was cutting it out so it's not quite a full circle. You'd never know though! It is still super wide and swooshy. 

 

I was not wearing it with a crinoline for these pictures, and you can see how well the skirt still stands out. I cheated and went the narrow-top-stitched-hem route for this one, and it's not even noticeable. 

 

Partly because of taking time to do the pin tucks, I also was a bit more careful with the construction of this dress. And it paid off, since I actually won a best of show award at our local county fair - which surprised me greatly!

 

I chose a textured white fabric from my scrap drawer for the collar, and ended up adding white sleeve bands as well. It just seemed to look better to have that busy print broken up a bit more.

 

It was pretty straightforward to make, and I don't recall any issues I had with the pattern combination  or construction. The only thing that didn't quite turn out right was the collar doesn't lay perfectly. I think I could have solved it with under stitching, so I will remember that for next time.

 

I found the perfect white lattice buttons from my stash. The belt is modern, gloves are vintage, and the carved rose bead necklace and bracelet set are from the 1950s - I found them at my local thrift store for grand total of $1. There is a pair of earrings too, but I have not converted them to pierced yet. And my favorite dressy wedges from Rocket Originals rounded out the look. 

 

I had intended this for a house dress, ended up wearing it to church, and now it's sort an in-between dress. I like to have several "nice" everyday dresses (separate from the well-worn cotton frocks in constant rotation) that I can wear when shopping, or maybe just a day that I feel like dressing up a bit more at home.

 

This one is very classic 1950s. And I was so pleased with how it turned out that it made me happy to have an extra special backdrop to take pictures of it.