Isn't it fun? I'm really enjoying wearing it. I even got an unsolicitation from a total stranger while I was out running errands! Yay! The fabric is a fun striped stretch seersucker from Fabric.com. It is very lightweight and comfortable.
The pattern is New Look 6587, and is one of the "New Vintage Looks" line that was recently released. I bought this pattern because it reminded me so much of a favorite dress from High School, although that dress was white.
I liked quite a lot about this pattern. It was a quick sew, since I left it unlined. Princess seams are lovely for shaping and easy to do an FBA on. I actually used the front bodice pieces from Simplicity 2403, since I had already altered them to fit. The major issue I had with it was the back neckline. It gaped horribly! I imagine that this would be less of a problem in the view with the collar, but it looked dreadful on this one. I took two half inch darts in the back neckline, which helped.
I love the pockets! The body of the pocket is gathered into a trimmed band. The placement markings on the skirt were strange though - too low and too close to the front bands. I was really glad I had waited to put the pockets on until after the dress was constructed. You can also see the trim on the dress in this shot. The entire front neckline and button band are trimmed with a ruffled grosgrain ribbon. I initially thought about piping here, but I'm glad I went with the little ruffle. The effect is sweet.
The skirt also isn't super full. It isn't a straight dirndl skirt, although there is a small amount of gathering at the waist. It is sort of a semicircular gathered skirt. I really like this, since it minimizes the amount of bulk at the waist, but I would have liked more fullness at the hem, which would be easy enough to accomplish by just slashing and spreading the skirt pattern at the hem, but leaving the waist measurement the same.
When I first tried the dress on, the skirt was limp and a little sad. This fabric doesn't have a lot of body on it's own. I considered horsehair braid at the hem, but I wanted fullness throughout the skirt without adding weight at the hem, so I decided to make a light crinoline. I didn't want it to be costume-y (the dress is already a little OTT), so I just lightly gathered some nylon organdy into three tiers, much like Gertie's Modern Crinoline. Mine has a much shorter yoke section and an extra tier, but the effect is the same.
For the waistband, I really wanted some picot elastic, but I only had black. I ended up using FOE, and I actually really like it. It isn't as pretty a picot elastic, but it is very flexible and comfortable, while still being sturdy enough to hold my skirt up.
Day to day, I'm usually a jeans and knit top kind of girl, but a few more dresses like this one could convert me. It is comfortable to wear, looks cute and I can even chase the kids in it! The length is good - I don't have to worry about a gust of wind showing off my unmentionables, but the skirt is full enough for movement.
Now that I have satisfied my urge for a random cute dress, I'm back to the Wardrobe Basics SAL. I've muslined my McQueen knockoff skirt and it's awesome, so I'll be sewing that up next, then my LBD. Stay tuned!
