"Swingtime" dress

I recently put the finishing touches on my Sense & Sensibility swing dress! It's nice to have this dress done. I actually made two mock-ups of the bodice to try to get the best fit, but the extra work was worth it. The first time, I just cut straight from the pattern, no changes. The second time, I shortened the bodice by about an inch and moved the bust gathers 5/8" inward. I also adjusted the sleeve caps as per Casey's instructions, and shortened the length of the 3/4 sleeves by about 3 inches (they're still longer than the short sleeved version, though). I did make some shoulder pads but I'm not wearing them in these photos -- I need to make them a tad smaller. And don't forget, this dress is nursing-friendly!


[I have yet to find the right vintage brooch to place at the neckline.
I'm thinking something with pearls would be perfect!]
I tried to curl my hair in a vintage '40s style, but my wimpy curlers and mostly-straight hair betrayed me. (I say mostly straight because pregnancy has given me some curl for the first time in my life, but my hair is long enough that the ends are still pre-pregnancy growth and therefore stick-straight. It's like growing out a perm, in reverse. Crazy!) I loosely followed a "Marlene Dietrich" look for my '40s makeup, even trying out the "smear" lip shape (think Joan Crawford). If you ever want to try it for yourself, I highly recommend using a lip brush with your lipstick for greatest accuracy. Oh, and CHECK YOUR TEETH FOR LIPSTICK before you smile for the camera. :)


[Douglas took some shots in black and white... thanks for being the photographer, dear!]
I also have to tell you about my hat. My husband has encouraged me to find some cute vintage hats to wear to church, and who can say no to that? ;) I'm not an expert on hat styles, but I would place this hat in the 1940s (chime in if you have a learned opinion). I found it for a great price at a local vintage store. It's not in pristine condition but it's very wearable. I have to admit, I prefer '20s and '30s hat styles, but I don't like to mix up decades if I can help it. At least this is a more muted style; some of the '40s hats I've seen in books are a little too attention-grabbing for my taste (so says the woman wearing clothing styles 70+ years out of date).


So thanks, Casey, for hosting the sew-along -- I learned some new things to help improve the fit of my garments, and having a deadline helped me stay on track. And I'm thrilled to have a new springtime dress!