Verity Vintage Studio

1950s Floral Flair Dress

I did not intend posting about two blue dresses in a row, but judging from the amount of blue in my stash it's likely to happen more than once, and at least they are quite different in styles and shades!

 

I settled on this 1950s pattern as a good fit for some satin fabric I wanted to use for a formal dress. But first I needed to make a trial version to make sure I could still nurse with the slanting opening, so out came some giant floral cotton that I had stashed for a "something 1950s" project someday.

 

It was a bit challenging to figure out how to cut it out correctly, with some pieces needing cut only once. Thankfully I had enough fabric that I didn't worry about disaster if I would cut something incorrectly.

The dress went together quickly, and I didn't have any difficulty with the pattern. It certainly was intended for a long-waisted gal though! I took a pinch out of the torso pattern pieces when cutting it out, and when I basted the skirt on and tried it on the first time the bodice was still too long. I had to take the skirt back off and trim the bodice off yet another inch or so.

 

I wanted to make the sleeves a bit more interesting, so I stitched a bit of ecru cotton lace on them, which also helps to break up the print.

 

Even with the crossing-front style, I found it easy enough to nurse in, and really like the variation it provides from the usual row of buttons down the front. I close it at the waist with a hook and eye on one side and a snap on the other, to keep the gore smooth.

 

I have seen this style as a house dress a lot, but the pattern illustrations show it as a more dressy outfit, so I am sure it will work out well in my formal fabric as well. I will wear this one as a house dress, but wanted to dress it up a bit for these pictures, since I think the large print is fairly versatile. 

 

It was intended just as a quick trial of a pattern I needed to make, but actually, I was quite pleased with it in its own right. I like how simple it is, yet very classic 1950s, and a different type of basic. The simple lines are ideal for a large print like this one, and I love the skirt flare.

 

Now I can start the next version with confidence, and meanwhile enjoy wearing this one for everyday.

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!