This blog contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a (very) small commission if you click a link and purchase something. While I wish these commissions were enough to send me on monthly shopping trips to Paris, they do allow me to continue to produce content.

Monday, April 29, 2013

Simplicity 1803 in Flowers for Spring

It is spring in the northern hemisphere.  Time for flowers!  I chose Simplicity 1803 for my cotton flowered dress.
Here is the original pattern.  It is much more modern than the patterns I have been choosing -  although I love the 50's retro dress patterns, the modern ones use less fabric.  This one still has a retro look, although I did make some modifications.
The first thing I did was add 10 inches to the skirt.  I don't look good in skirts above the knee.  That turned out to be over-kill.  Eight inches would have actually been plenty - I ended cutting two off.
Next, I modified the sleeve.  The pattern calls for pleats, which makes a box shape on the shoulder.  I have never been a fan, so I took my sloper and used it instead.
 
The pattern has a gathered skirt but I wanted a little more fabric in the skirt (I guess I can't leave the 50's entirely behind). I sewed a size 12 bodice and a size 20 skirt and gathered the large skirt into the bodice. 
 
One thing I have been working on is to make the insides of my dresses nicer.  In the past, they have looked great on the outside, but I have left a war zone inside.  This one is lined in a cotton and hand-sewn into the dress.  All edges are serged.  The zipper is an invisible zipper.  I keep telling myself to get a better camera, but I swear it does look nice. 
I didn't put gathers in the lining because I didn't want more bulk at the waist than chocolate already deposits.  So, I used a smaller skirt size and put in some pleats to avoid the bulk.
I really run out of poses.
The only thing I would do differently is that the pattern calls for the front bodice to be in two pieces.  I think that cutting it on the fold would have been much better for the flowers on this to look right.  It looks a little off the way it is.

Overall, the result is a wearable dress that is a little less conspicuous than the 50's patterns I love.  I can wear this without so much attention.  I can get into a car without closing half of the skirt in the door.  I'll definitely be wearing it this summer. 

Next up: work on my invisible zipper skills.  I still hand-picked this one because every time I use a machine to put in a zipper, it turns out funny. 

4 comments:

  1. Lovely. Love the pose in last pic hehe.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Sassy. You are always so lovely to hear from.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Gorgeous dress, I love the fabric! I always think that about patterns with the front in two pieces - usually there doesn't seem to be any reason for it and I end up cutting one piece on the fold. Or maybe I'm missing something?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks! I must be missing something, too because I can't work out why they would have made the bodice front two pieces on this one.

      Delete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...