A Glowing Jade Formal for Clara: Vintage Simplicity 8389
My copy of Simplicity 8389 is a wreck, but look what it wrought:
Clara's dress for this year's orchestra banquet. I had ten (count them) yards of this vintage jade-colored Dotted Swiss with Daisies--we only used about four. We found a perfect match in kona cotton for the lining. A perfect match for an invisible zipper.
Although the pattern doesn't call for it, we interlined and then lined the bodice, stitching the boning into the lining layer. The pleats are long bias strips of fabric, folded and then appliqued onto the bodice, then the raw edges are felled underneath. Interesting.
And the boning goes all the way up the dart and over the bust, so that it runs from the very top to the very bottom of the bodice. I thought this was unlikely until I remembered the dresses in the dress-up trunk--formals my mother wore in the fifties, that were boned the same way.
Our last lucky find was a newly-opened tattoo parlor in town, with exterior walls painted this shade. I popped my head in and asked if we could photograph in their parking lot. Life is full of surprises; a photo shoot at the tattoo parlor is one I did not see coming.
20 comments:
Well done, Anna!! Lovely fabric and interesting that the "tucks" are appliques. Also, I like the choice of shoes!
Lisateresa
Ha! That last line made me laugh out loud!
Beautiful dress, and gorgeous fabric!
It's a beautiful dress, but I sure didn't see that last part coming! LOL
O my goodness Anna. That is jaw dropping! I absolutely love the colour and the less than expected backdrop location only adds to it. Well done.
The colour -- and the dress itself -- are lovely on you Clara! I had to laugh when I saw where the wall was! When I was a little girl all the older girls had a boned dress like that, I am so glad you get to experience such brilliant tailoring.
Beautiful. And 💙 the shoes.
Had to comment... THAT. DRESS. IS. AWESOME.
Just divine! Such a lovely colour, and a lucky find with the tattoo parlour. How kind of them to paint with just the colour you needed!
Wow. That's stunning and no one else's dress will be so unique.
Gorgeous! Beautiful fabric, delightful pattern, and those are some snazzy shoes! I have eight bridesmaids dresses and a flower girl dress to make, nine if you count the practice dress. I wish I had a coach like you!
Ha, Ha! As I was slowly reading your comments I was wondering what you painted at the Schoolhouse...now I know! Lovely ideas.
Stunning, just stunning! And the shoes are totally wonderful as well.
I love the shoes, too - first thing I noticed! Also, Clara's eyebrows are PERFECT.
Anna, I remember that a year or two ago, Clara wanted a gown of - gingham or something - I'm trying to remember, but it was mostly cotton that she wanted - whatever it was, it sounded great to me, and I've often wondered if you ever made it up.
Lisateresa
Ticking! I just looked it up - did you make that one?
Lisa, no, we haven't ever made that one. It still sounds good though!
No other words, but just this, elegant.
Good job with the dress and finding the perfect wall.
Anna,
When I saw the photos of your vintage fabric I couldn't believe it. My grandmother used that exact fabric to make me a dress when I was 5 years old back in 1976. She made my sister and me each a dress in a colonial style with a mob cap to celebrate our country's 200th birthday. I believe my sisters's dress was the same print but yellow. When I saw this post, I ran up to the attic and pulled out my keepsake box. My memory was right - it's the exact same vintage fabric you used for Clara's dress. Though at the time my dress was made, it wasn't VINTAGE!! Thanks for a great memory . . .
Julie, thanks for sharing! I love it.
It is serendipitous indeed that your love of sewing vintage patterns intersects nicely with daughters who look great in them (I would have never been able to pull off Simplicity 8389!). Clara looks wonderful!
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