Sunday, March 09, 2014

Spring dress in baby wale corduroy (Simplicity 2927)

It's spring!  The doors of my house have been open all day and I'm wearing shorts (these!).  The seasonal distinctions in the Bay Area are minimal, but being from upstate NY, putting away off-season clothing is a hard habit to break.  I just "discovered" my "summer" clothes, and have been raiding the stash this weekend.  I'm fairly desperate for a refreshed wardrobe and I'm fortunate enough to have a job at which I can wear almost anything, from jeans to dresses.  I love that I can pull on a casual dresses whenever I want, and much of my spring wardrobe plans involve new dresses.
This one, an out-of-print Simplicity (2927) has been in my pattern collection for years and this is the first time I've made something from it.  The dress is a good shape, with princess seams, 3/4 raglan sleeves (among other options), and pockets.  I made an 8 for bust and waist, grading up to 10 for hips. I took in the sides and back seams about 1/2 in each, so a 6 for bust may have been better.
The fabric is a springy, but is respectful of a chilly morning in baby wale corduroy (purchased at Fabric.com here).  The flowers remind me of California poppies.  Considering it's corduroy, it's surprisingly lightweight!
Fun, sixties-inspired contoured neckline and vintage buttons.
Love the 3/4 sleeves, so I don't have to cover up the dress with a cardigan, and the tulip-ish faced hem makes them a little more interesting.

Here are some inside photos.  The facings are steel gray Bemberg.  I chose not to line the dress (slightly out of character for me!), initially hoping to wear it with this slip, but the slip peeks out of the neckline peephole!  No matter, the lightness is lovely, and I don't plan to wear the dress with tights.
My three-year old camera helper was a little trigger happy, but this shows the dress in action!
In looking for the pattern online, I came across several other gorgeous versions--love the piping on these versions (Raindrops & Bellyflops and Star's Threads), both making me feel lazy and/or guilty for not using piping!
Resewlution 2014 garment #2 for March!  







18 comments:

  1. This is so bright and happy! What a fab transitional frock and those sleeves are too cute!

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    1. Thank you! I need to find more dresses with 3/4 sleeves--it really makes dresses completely effortless to not even have to find a coordinating cardigan!

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    2. I totally agree! Very smile inducing

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  2. Wait - your three-year-old takes those photos? I am impressed! The dress is adorable. Very mod.

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    1. Haha! Well, I set the camera on a tripod, with a remote shutter button (with 2 second delay). The three year old sits on the bed and presses the button :)

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  3. Anonymous6:24 AM

    this dress is so beautiful!! Love those sleeves and the cheeryness of the fabric!

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    1. Thanks! I'm so looking forward to wearing it to teach and then on to my patternmaking class tomorrow!

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  4. I love this dress so much! Too bad the pattern is OOP :(. All the mod details are so sweet and your fabric choice is perfect!

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    1. You might be able to find a copy on Etsy or Ebay--even Amazon had the pattern (but only for the larger set of sizes)!

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  5. Love, love this dress.. It looks so pretty on you.. Your photographer is wonderful [and at 3 yrs old..]

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    1. Thank you, Judy! I worried that the print might be too loud, but I love color and flowers, so I decided I wasn't going to worry about it!

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  6. Fantastic. Love the mod vibe and it looks to be a perfect fit. Well done.

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  7. Anonymous3:00 AM

    Oh I sooooo love this dress. It's oh so pretty and very spring time, the fabric is amazing and you had me at princess seams and raglan sleeves, my favourites.

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  8. Anonymous11:33 AM

    This dress made me smile. What a happy fabric.

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  9. Hi there, found you via the britex blog - love your recent makes and looking forward to reading back through. This dress is so lovely, cheers, Sarah :)

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  10. Oh! Oh! Oh! I love this fabric; the colour and the print! And I can imagine it light but still cozy at the same time. I say, feel no guilt about not doing piping...it would have been competing with the pattern!

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    1. You're right, Sue, thank you for assuaging my guilt!

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