Butterick 6582 – Retro 60s Dress for a Mad Men party!

Betty Draper inspired dress

I haven’t gone MIA. Life has just been so busy. I hate that I haven’t written anything. I have been sewing though! My latest endeavor was Butterick 6582.

I made View C, which is a classic A-line shape that will flatter most figures. I made this dress for a Mad Men party, so it was perfect. I used plain cotton fabric, which was easy to work with.

I thought the sizing ran a little big. I ended up having to take three inches in so it didn’t look like I was swimming in the dress. I think a well fitting bodice is KEY to this dress.

Take your time on the bodice. It’s not hard, but it takes patience. The instructions for the zipper are NOT good in this pattern, so you’ll have to fend for yourself.

I would make it again, but would make it in a smaller size. All the alterations made the fit seem a bit off to me. I’m a perfectionist about fit though.

Simplicity 4055

My 1812 Dress

We had a War of 1812 themed even at work this weekend, and naturally, I had to have a new dress. I don’t like to just grab a pattern and run with it. I love to look at fashion plates and images of the time and seek inspiration from primary resources. My inspiration came from two dresses from Thomas Wilson’s Analysis of Country Dancing” from 1811. I think the end product turned out nicely. I did hook and eye closures rather than buttons for the back. I used cotton for the dress. I wish I could’ve the entire dress out of lawn for a very draped gown, but the JoAnn here in town only had obnoxious tropical themed prints. Maybe next time!

Comparison

Simplicity 2363

Simplicity 2363

Here is my latest creation: Simplicity 2363. I have had this fabric for many years and wanted to use it. I wanted a casual simple dress and decided on this pattern. The fabric is a poly-rayon blend and super flowy with some nice drape.

FIT: The dress is a pull over dress. I’m not the best at putting zippers in, so this pattern appealed to me. I’m very picky about how my clothes fit though. If the bottom of the dress flows, I like the bodice to fit nicely (as a self-proclaimed pear shape, I think this style fits nicely). I failed to remember that with a pull over top, it will be looser due to lack of zipper). So, to fix that problem, I added a belt to my finished dress to add some shape and funk to a simple dress.

SIZE: This pattern runs VERY large. I should fit into a 10 pattern, and cut the bodice out at a 6 and there was plenty of room to spare. The belt helps hide that it is too big in the skirt. Otherwise, this dress would look like I was trying to conceal a pregnancy or something like that.

TIPS: Take your time on the neck and get the corners on the neck sharp. This will make the finished product look much more stylish and polished.

This dress is going to be great for work and play. Today, I paired it with tights, ankle boots, and a black shrug. I think it will be adorable with my black wedges once it warms up!

1853 Dress – My First Historic Costume!

February 1853 Fashion Plate

I just finished my first historic costume that I completed on my own. I used Laughing Moon Mercantile’s #114 Ladies’ Round Dresses pattern as the base, and then added my own elements to complete the look I wanted. I made this dress for an actress that would be portraying a wealthy 42-year-old woman who has just married for the second time. I wanted something elegant, striking, yet conservative. I began looking at fashion plates of the 1850s and came across this one from University of Washington Digital Collections. It dates from February 1853:

Here is my finished product!

 

February 1853 Fashion Plate

 

 

 

New Look 6774

I’ve recently been having the itch to sew. I’ve really become a domestic goddess between my love of cooking new recipes, finishing cross stitching projects, and a desire to sew.  I suppose I should preface my interest in sewing as something that’s been on my mind since birth. My mother, who passed away in 2003, was a seamstress and loved crafts. She had a very DIY attitude about life, which was passed down to me . I haven’t sewn too much since Mom died, but I’ve done stuff here and there. I want to get back into it. I’m a little rusty so I decided to start with something relatively easy.

My good friend Brandon is getting married next Friday morning in vineyard back home in Illinois. I have a floral dress that would be okay to wear for the occasion, but I wanted something new. I wanted something simple with a touch of vintage home made to it (apparently I’ve been watching too much Mad Men. Are the fashions not AMAZING in that show?). After a trip to JoAnn and seeing all the fun new cotton fabrics, I picked up the pattern:

New Look 6774 – Image from www.simplicity.com

I liked option “B+J+L.” I’m a sucker for a great halter top. I find them comfortable and the most flattering for my pear shaped self. I picked out a tan, cream, brown, dark red, and blue patterned cotton and grabbed a dark red for the contrasting portion of the waistband. I picked out some coordinating satiny fabric for lining, fusible interfacing, thread, and a zipper, and I was on my way.

Laying out the pattern and cutting it out is very difficult for me being the perfectionist that I am. It’s also difficult since I have no room to work in my one bedroom apartment. Joe has been very accomodating to my thread and fabric scraps everywhere. Working during the daylight is a must for me too since we’re short on outlets.

This pattern moves along quite easily. I will say that it called for a bit too much fabric, so I’ll see if I can’t ebay the remainder (I don’t see making a skirt or something with the pattern I picked, and I have no room right now to store it). I’ve had to rework the back because it runs big to me. Before installing the zipper (which is always a headache for me), I realized I was swimming in it. I’m always trying the garment on as I go along to avoid using my frenemy: the seam ripper.

Floral halter dress with red midriff band

After work tonight, I’m going to be fighting with the zipper and then deciding on an appropriate length for the dress. I love how it looks, but the fabric is a tinge too stiff right now. I think it’ll work though. I’ve already paired it with these amazing chunky gold and wood wedges I got for $10 last week. I decided to make what I want to call a “floral fabric fascinator.” It turned out cute, and I can wear it on the dress (as seen below) or in my hair.

Red fabric flower with pretty button