Spring Dresses to Sew Lineup

I'm trying to thoroughly enjoy dressing the heck out of winter since we are almost out of "winter week 2015." I'm rotating through all of my wooly black sweaters and turtlenecks to make sure they don't die in the closet over another summer.

I have a habit of buying duplicates or even triplicates of an article of clothing I really like and feel comfortable in.  For the winter this usually means black wooly turtleneck sweaters.  I enjoy looking like a beatnik female version of Steve Jobs, or in the case above, Joan Crawford 1927.  The black turtleneck is a classic!

However, all that i've been thinking about lately, is sewing some spring dresses.  Living in the desert has its challenges, one of which is dressing comfortably for the heat while trying to retain a modicum of personal style that doesn't revolve around shorts, polo shirts and flip flop sandals.  (what? That's a style isn't it?)  So, I went through the cache of patterns that I own to find a few that I will use for the spring dress sew-a-thon.

First on deck is my good ole faithful Vintage Vogue pattern that i've literally made a dozen dresses from.

I've even used this pattern to make my wedding dress from, granted it was in silk brocade but still...I eloped so time was of the essence in throwing together quick and easy wedding attire.   I would say Vintage Vogue #2267 is one of the easiest to work with.  I've gotten so adept at making this pattern i can sew it together (minus serging time) in about 30 minutes.  (not including the jacket.)  The lines are flattering to most figures, it doesn't require yards of fabric for a circle skirt, and the straps are wide enough where you don't have to use a special bra.  You can make the dress in 3-4 yards depending on your size...if you make it with a good quality novelty cotton, you've just spent less than $16 dollars making this dress.

This would be my second favorite dress to make. Vintage Vogue #2902.  This dress is super fun to wear but not for the faint of heart.  The skirt alone uses about 4 yards of fabric as it is a true circle skirt.  That is a lot of hemming!! Not to mention, it comes with a liner (which I leave out since I will wear a petticoat with the dress anyhow.)  The only thing I truly would change about this is the length.  It feels more like a tea length, even with the petticoat underneath taking up some real estate, it feels a tad long.  I have made this dress four times.  I altered it slightly one year to look like Grace Kelly's dress in the Hitchcock film "Rear Window." 

 I used black velvet for the top and champagne colored organza for the skirt. Sadly that dress is no longer in my possession. I will probably make another version of this very soon.  You can see one of the versions of this dress in the blog banner.  I am wearing a petticoat underneath and a sweater over the top.  It is a fabulous dress to go dancing in!

My absolute least favorite Vintage Vogue pattern to make is #2903!  This dress has unrealistic standards about where the shoulders and sleeves should start and begin.  I've tried so many times to alter it to fit more squarely on my shoulders but it always ends up feeling like an over the shoulder dress.  PASS!  I simply cannot go without a brassiere.

Now there are a few patterns that i've not tried to make yet as they are slightly more intimidating and require a bit more finesse when constructing.  But since it is a new year and I am going to be challenging myself a lot more to go outside the boundaries of what I am comfortable with, it is high time I take these patterns on!

 To start with, Vintage Vogue #2371.  This style is a touch outside of the decade of aesthetics that I am used to.... but every time I see this dress I can't help but to think of Joan Crawford.  Nothing says "Don't F*ck With Me Fellas" like a good strong shoulder pad!  Remember the old soaps Dynasty and Falcon Crest? Yes, all the crazy ladies had shoulder pads out to there! But look how smart Joan looks in this ensemble.  Sadly I'd probably never wear this except to somewhere really special, as it would go grossly under-appreciated here.

That is something I truly miss, being able to wear really decadent, tailored suits.  When I lived in NY it was easy to do so, it was obviously a lot cooler for a lot longer, but NY is also obviously far more fashionable.  Maybe I need to up the ante and just take one for the team and bring sexy back!  Yes, maybe I do need to wear my pea green Tippi Hedren suit to run to the grocery store!

"Hey guys, I'm just running to the supermarket to get some toilet paper, brb!"

At this time I would like to thank Edith Head for her uncanny ability to design the hell out of one great suit!

Well, I have to be realistic.  Even though I would love to wear my finest when I just need to go out and about, or go on a Costco run, the reality is that I am going to spend the majority of my time in light and airy cottons that can be easily thrown into the wash and dried without wondering how they will come out the other end.  That is why I love to sew my own dresses, i'm like the Samsonite luggage gorilla.  I need a dress that I can ride hard and put it away wet.  

For this spring i'm going to do something different from my tried and true novelty cottons. I'm going to expand into using lighter weight fabrics like crepe.  I found this pattern and I can't wait until to get started on it.  It is another Vintage Vogue pattern, #8999.  

I bet I could make this dress in a hundred different colors and never be satisfied.  The darting and pleating are going to be a little bit of a hassle, not too much though, but they will really make the dress.  Nothing beats a well tailored dress to accentuate a wasp like waist line!  If you don't have a wasp like waist line, this is a good dress to help you fake it.  I will probably do one in a ballet pink crepe to start out with just to see how I like it.    I better get a move on,  unlike Joan Crawford, i'm not one to be a lady of leisure for too long!

What are you sewing for this springs wardrobe? Happy sewing friends!

Love,

Desi x