1940s Confetti House Dress

This was one of the dresses I would have made this summer had I not been pregnant. Now I quickly am squeezing in a few cotton house dresses this fall yet, even though the weather has already turned. I do wear them year-round anyway, just layer with sweaters in the winter. At least the dark color is a bit more fall-appropriate.

 

This cotton is perfect for an everyday dress since it won't show stains or dirt easily, and is dark enough that I won't need to wear layers under it when it is hot. It's not a reproduction print, but works very well for a vintage style dress. I call it my confetti dress, since that's what the print reminds me of.

 

I've made this 1940s pattern before, and it is one of my most-worn everyday dresses. I reach for it constantly when it is clean and in my closet, so I decided it was time to make another version. 

 

The print has many colors in it, so I originally wanted to keep the buttons navy so that I could accessorize with any of the colors. But all-navy buttons didn't look right with so much navy already in the dress, so I went with some pretty, textured, new-old-stock vintage shell buttons from my stash.

I also added some white lace trim to the sleeves to break up all the blue, but hoped that since white is such a generic color, I could still accessorize with pink, light blue, yellow, or red from the print. It does look nice with a white belt, and I always gravitate toward accessorizing blue with red, but for these pictures I did something different and paired it with light pink. I think that works too. 

 

It was such a quick and simple dress that there's not much to say about it. The shoulder tucks are the only detail - everything else is pretty basic. I glanced at the instructions maybe 2 or 3 times while I was sewing, and made the whole thing from start to finish in less than 3 days. 

 

Another time I must remember to lower the the waist a tad since it hits a little high. This version I also made a bit longer since my green one was on the short side. 

 

Otherwise there's not much to say! It's a nice addition to my everyday wardrobe, and I'm glad to have this cotton off my shelf (where it's been waiting for a few years) and in my closet. It will get a ton of wear year round, I am certain!

Comments

[Rebecca Young]

I love the style and colour of this dress

[Irene]

Very pretty dress ! The patience to see sew all those buttons ( my least favorite part of sewing)
Love your hairstyle! I also use sponge rollers it does calm the frizz in my hair. How may times a week to use your sponge rollers?
Always enjoying your sewing projects!
Blessings,
Irene

[Lynne A Johnson]

I love the design of your dress. It is very flattering and comfortable looking. I don't think I've ever commented on your photography. The photos are so clear!!

[Kristen Stoltzfus Clay]

Thanks all!

Irene, I usually set my hair 3 times a week, and take photos on the first day. The next day I usually pull it back into a barrette, and use side combs.

Lynne - thank you! I use the Portrait mode on my iPhone 8 plus. It's the best camera I've found yet. :-)

[Rebecca]

Love the style of dress! Where could I find the pattern for it?

[Kristen Stoltzfus Clay]

Hi Rebecca,

The pattern I used was a vintage one from the 1940s, Simplicity 4662. You may be able to find a copy online, but if not, your best bet is to look for one similar in style. This type of dress pattern was quite popular and there are many different versions out there.