A #VintagePledge for the #BVSewalong


Oh, the irony! Instigator of #VintagePledge here, yet it's over halfway through the year and this is my first vintage make of 2016! To be fair, it's only my fourth make of the year too, so I'm not being vintageist at least.

In any case, I want to thank The McCall Pattern Company and The Foldline for hosting The BIG Vintage Sew-along, which has inspired and motivated me while also raising money for the very worthy Eve Appeal.



With such a great selection to choose from, picking a pattern was hard. At first I went for the stunning 1930s V9127, but realised that the sweet 1960s B6582 would be more manageable with my limited time this year. I got pretty lucky with the fit of the size 14, my only alterations being shortening the bodice by my standard 1.5cm and pinching out a good chunk from the back and front necklines, as well as the 'side boob' area. It seemed to do the trick and I'm pretty happy with the overall fit.

Not being the biggest fan of gathered skirts on myself, I swapped it for my tried, tested and beloved Lilou skirt from Tilly's dress pattern in Love at First Stitch. I'm pretty smitten with its modestly full shape, gained from pleats instead of gathers, which you can also see in action here, here and here!


What I don't get, is how my neckline managed to end up asymmetrical, despite everything lining up during the sewing process. I'm going to blame it on my viscose double gauze fabric, which despite its beauty, was a slippery little sucker! I was warned by Sarah of A Million Dresses about the shifty layers of gauze, but it's allure was too strong for me. Even though I stay stitched the hell out of every piece, I still think some misshaping occurred...so be warned! 

In case you're wondering, I got mine from Miss Matatabi, but places like M is for Make also seem to be stocking it...in a range of delicious colourways too! 



The pattern is fairly simple to follow with a decent set of instructions. The dress is unlined with a clever facing for the neckline which I stupidly forgot to photograph. For an idea of how it looks, just check out my Betty Dress from Sew Over It. It gives a really clean finish on the inside, but I must confess that I don't actually like the way the shoulder seams are sewn up...I find it fiddly and it can be tricky to get everything to line up perfectly. 



I'm pretty pleased with how this turned out in the end, wonky neckline and all. Did you notice my baby border on the hem by the way? It's not as obvious as it would have been had I gone for a standard dirndl skirt, but I much prefer this shape on me.

Catch up on what all the other guest bloggers have made for the #BVSewalong and check out the schedule for upcoming makes. Next Friday, you have the pleasure of my #VintagePledge partner in crime, Kerry of Kestrel Makes!

13 comments:

  1. So elegant! Love that fabric and also the bodice shape x

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  2. Oh god I hate slippery fabrics! You've done so well, I love the pattern the fabric has and adore the style of the dress, you've really made it your own. Plus you look beautiful in it! XxxX

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  3. totally your style - absolutely gorgeous!

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  4. Very nice, I made the fitted one for a mother of the groom in navy satin cotton with big white flowers it looked absolutely fabulous

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  5. Gorgeous, Marie!! And while the neckline probably annoys you, I thought it was totally on purpose! Way to go working with a formidable adversary of a fabric, the result is delightful!

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  6. The dress is truly lovely, the neckline looks totally intentional :)

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  7. What a lovely dress Marie! I especially like your fabric choice and how you paired the monochromatic colors with red. Very nice!

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  8. Any asymmetry is barely noticeable. It's a gorgeous dress. I love the facing but agree about the shoulder seam construction, it's not ideal. I've not worked out an alternative though. Fabulous dress x

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  9. Lovely dress, the fabric is lush and it looks great, I didn't notice the neckline issue until you mentioned it.

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  10. Beautiful, don't notice asymmetry just a gorgeous dress.

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  11. I love it! I made a muslin of this and then it got cold down under - but it's first cab off the rank when it warms up. I'm also planning on using a different skirt with pleats to the side (S1419). I needed to make quite a few changes to the bodice - did you need to redraft the facing? A bit tricky due to the gathering on the shoulders?

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  12. This looks great, I have this pattern in my stash and hope to make it for summer... I also don't notice anything asymmetrical in the finished dress, it looks really good to me, so you must have salvaged the wayward fabric in the end!

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  13. Your mods sound exactly like mine always do - shorten the body, take wings off the bust, take pools out of the back and avoid gathers at all costs!! The fabric is understated and beautiful, I would have fell for it too. I have sent you my copy but had no reply so I will send it again. Jo x

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