I was calling this dress my sparrow dress for a while before I looked closely at the print, and realized those birds are probably some species a lot fancier than a sparrow! But by then the habit was made, so here it is - the Sparrow Dress.
I got this novelty print rayon from JoAnn last fall because it was a really good sale price and I've been wanting to make a novelty 1940s dress. I saved it till spring, then made it up using a vintage Butterick pattern that needed a nice limp fabric like rayon.
I have to admit - after the fiasco I had with my Christmas dress (also using rayon from JoAnn) I was nervous about this one. Their quilting cotton I am used to - not their apparel fabric so much. But it's a denser weave, or higher quality, or something...it is of course a little more slippery and limp than cotton, but really wasn't that hard to manage and sew. Much to my relief!
The VERY colorful and busy print called for a basic pattern, so this one has pretty much only the ruching on the bodice for detail. There are also a few small shaping darts on the skirt, and of course the small rolled collar. A one-way print like this one always makes cutting it out more of a challenge, but thankfully this war era pattern was very economical and I didn't end up having to squeeze to fit everything on my yardage.
It was interesting to put the bodice together since it was ruched both at the front darts and the side seams. Putting a side zipper in also meant I had to sew that side of the front bodice to some seam binding first to stabilize it, then treat it like a regular side seam. But it seems to work fine.
Because I made it earlier and waited so long to model it, I don't quite feel like I did it justice, since my baby bump is now distorting the waistline. Maybe I can get pictures of it later this summer when I am more normal proportions so you can really see how it's supposed to look. But at least it's documented for now.
Because the rayon has a little give, it's actually pretty comfy, even with the waist seam. I had worn it with a belt originally, but didn't like how that looks on me now, so I cut another strip of the fabric and did a quick tie belt. You can't really see it because the print's so busy!
Because of the jumble of colors, I kept accessories basic. Pearls, white gloves, spectators, and hair flowers. I added a giant vintage hat too, just for some over-the-top fun, since often I see this style of hat paired with a 1940s novelty print dress in old photos.
I had extra time the morning these were taken so I did my hairstyle more elaborately than usual too, and was pleased with how it turned out.
Using brown as a coordinate helps to tone down the ensemble, but this dress also goes well with cobalt blue or green or any of the other colors picked out in shoes and accessories too.
I really like the fabric - it's so cheerful and colorful, with a nice drape and cool feel. I'm glad I went ahead and purchased some while it was on sale, though internet fabric buys are always a little risky. It's a fun, simple, button-up-and-go dress that I'm sure I will wear a lot once I can fit into it properly!
Plus I feel very WWII-era-lady while wearing it, which is always fun. :-)
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