Thursday, March 17, 2011

"Swingtime" dress


swingdress_caboose

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!

swingdress-2
[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. :)

vintage-swing
[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seen in books are a little too attention-grabbing for my taste (so says the woman wearing clothing styles 70+ years out of date).

40shat

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!

30 comments:

  1. Beautiful dress! Your hair is so pretty too :)
    I have to ask, where are your shoes from?! I've been after some like that for ages!
    Ashley x

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  2. How beautiful is your blog... will have to get back to it again.... Do hope you can view some of mine
    greetings from across the pond...
    and remember HIS name is also love...

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  3. Gorgeous dress! And wherever did you find those shoes?!

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  4. the first picture is my favorite! I love the makeup, dress, and charming shoes. Great find with the vintage hat :)

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  5. i want this dress! i do not even own one, as i feel horrible wearing a size 12 :(
    i love reading your blog and seeing all you create!

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  6. Beautiful dress and hat! Your blog is so lovely, too. May I ask how you made the edge of your banner scalloped? Is there a brush set you could recommend?

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  7. I'm fascinated by all the different fabrics people used. I really love the way you wear yours together with that hat and the shoes. Looks beautiful!

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  8. I love your fabric choice on this it's so pretty! Not to mention the shoes and the hat, the look is perfect on you!

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  9. Gorgeous work, Laura! You look lovely! Your fabric choice was perfect.

    The hat is very cute, too. (I do love 40s fashion!) May I ask if your church head covers during service, hence the hats?

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  10. Lovely! I like the fabric you chose, and the shoes and hat are perfect! So pretty! Your pictures came out great too : )

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  11. I love your photos - and the dress looks amazing. Plus, I want your shoes. Great job :)

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  12. Your dress is gorgeous. Although not a fan of floral prints, I would have to ask: where did you pick up your fabric because I want some! ... as to the hat dating, since your hat has the V-shaped hooks, it is more a 1950s hat. I collect and wear vintage hats, and most of mine are from the 40s - 50s. Hope this helped! Have a grand day ~

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  13. How gorgeous! I absolutely love the fabric you used! So vintage and pretty.

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  14. Thanks for all your lovely comments, ladies! :)

    Ashley and Caroline, I bought the shoes at Dillard's in 2004. The brand name is Gianni Bini and I believe the style is Ciara, if you want to search eBay!

    Lisaplus5, I know how you feel, although I would encourage you to find something pretty and feminine even if you're not your "ideal" size! Have you seen the other seamstresses participating in the sew-along (bottom of this post)? They are all shapes and sizes, and all look lovely in their dresses!

    Naomi U., thank you for the compliments on my blog design. No brush set -- I drew the scalloped line in Adobe Illustrator and then applied it onto the blog banner in Photoshop. I basically asked my husband, "How do I do this?" and he'd walk me through it. ;)

    Kiri, thanks so much. It's not a church-wide thing, although Douglas' encouragement does stem from I Corinthians 11 and his personal preference for hats over kerchiefs. :) Is this something the ladies in your family do?

    Livinginthe1940s, thanks for your input. Those are the kinds of clues I'd like to learn more about. I bought my fabric from Denver Fabrics website -- the direct link to the fabric is here.

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  15. I love your dress, it's so lady like and your photos are just stunning!!

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  16. Absolutely gorgeous! I love it, you did a great job! It is just so romantic . . . .

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  17. Positively stunning! Great job! Lovely blog you have here...been reading it for awhile now. I love all the feminine inspiration to be found here ~ thank you!

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  18. thank you for the response... i will consider and pray and when our finances are better will start looking.... thank you for the link.

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  19. Hello, just come over from Casey's blog. I think your dress is very stunning, and I love that print and also your hat.

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  20. Oh Laura, that is just absolutely STUNNING!!!! The dress is beautiful, you look so lovely wearing it and the pictures are fantastic! :D
    I must also say that I LOVE your shoes!

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  21. Wow. The dress and photos (and you! :) are simply stunning! Your dress turned out so beautiful--and I am loving the darling hat too. ;) You look like you've just stepped out of an old movie!

    ♥ Casey

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  22. Sweet Laura! Very nice. I love the hat - attention grabbing or not. ; ) So says another gal who's often 70 or so years behind current fashion trends as well...

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  23. That is a great looking dress.

    Congratulations on a job well done.

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  24. The dress is lovely! The hemline looks good. Curious to know where you found a train to board...

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  25. So beautiful! Lovely snaps too.

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  26. Thanks so much, ladies. Your kindness is very encouraging! :)

    Yes, Mom, thanks for marking the hemline for me! It does look very straight! The caboose is at the old depot in the town where Douglas works. I think we will be going back for more visits, especially since one of Edmund's favorite books is "The Little Red Caboose." :)

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  27. Absolutely fantastic! You are an expert seamstress and beautiful model! The hat almost looks 1950s to me. It is quite adorable.

    P.S. You wear that red lipstick like a queen :)

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  28. Aww, Keturah, you're so sweet. *blush* Thank you!

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  29. We do have convictions about head coverings, but haven't quite ironed out all the wrinkles on when they need to be worn. Hence, I'm always interested in seeing how others interpret the passage. :)

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  30. Oh my how this does make me wish I could so *properly*.

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