53 weeks later

Regular readers (thank you!) with good memories may recall having seen this fabric before.

Looks familiar?

It last appeared on this blog just over a year ago, when I was planning to experiment with batch cutting three projects at once. I said at the time that I wasn't sure how well this would work, and I was right to be dubious. I cut out the top fabric, for Simplicity 4463, and then - I started making it. And that was the end of the experiment.

One third of the plan worked!

Earlier this year I decided to revisit the other two projects. I discovered that I didn't actually have enough of the striped fabric to make Style 1271, so it has been put to one side. Which just left this cotton poplin, which I had earmarked for another Butterick 2535. This time I did have enough fabric to make the longer sleeved version, but decided to stick to short sleeves as I wanted to make a summer dress.

From 1943

One issue with using true vintage patterns is that fabric widths have changed over time, so the cutting layouts provided are of no use. Instead I tend to lay the fabric out on the floor, work out my layout, photograph it, and then cut out on the table working from the annotated image.

Part of my cutting layout

I first made this pattern five years ago and that version, made from Liberty Tana lawn, is still going strong after a lot of wear. This time I did make a couple of adjustments to the pattern, though. The main one was altering the bodice front. I had made it wider to accommodate my larger post-menopausal bust but, for an experienced dressmaker, it took me an embarrassingly long time to realise that I also needed more fabric top to bottom! As a result, several of my older dresses fit around the back and sides but are rather short-waisted at the front. Duh. It's an easy alteration to add length at the centre, tapering to the sides.

Showing the longer bodice front

Other than that, it was pretty much a repeat of the first make. I had almost lost the tie belt of the first version when it came untied, so I made sure to add belt loops to this dress. I also used a skirt hook and bar at the waist of the placket rather than just a hook and eye, and feel that it gives a more secure fasten.

Belt loop and waist fasten

There were the usual button traumas. Nothing in my stash or available locally seemed quite right. Fortunately, I found some I liked at The Swagman's Daughter, and the typeface on the card made me think that they were probably right for the period.

Looks 1930s/40s?

Attached to the dress

The buttonholes were, as ever, hand sewn. (I really must devote some time to learning how to use my Singer buttonholer properly.)

The completed dress

When I first made the pattern in 2020 I wasn't taking seated shots, so here is one this time. The pleats at the front make the dress comfortable to sit in, without there being lots of fabric to contend with.

#sewnshownseated

According to my project notebook, I started this dress at the end of February. That's a long time to make a basic 1940s dress which I have made before, but never mind. Partly it's because I have less sewing time these days, and partly it's because I deliberately took my time. This is a good, basic dress which I know I'm going to wear (and launder) a lot, so I made sure that everything is properly stitched and neatly finished, to maximise its life. Plus, it's another 3.2m out of the stash.

Still a long way to go