Continuing on the recent project round-up, we have some frocks to discuss. Two are awesome. One is not. Let’s start on a high, shall we?
Dress one: vintage Simplicity 4232
Ages ago I made a notch-necked sheath from loud corduroy. It became my favourite of all dresses. I love it the best. I wanted to make it again so when I hit the Fabric Store‘s 40% sale, I went in looking for sheathables. Not usually a lover of lace (chantilly, no matter how expensive, looks like nasty trash to me. I also think diamonds are shabby. Perhaps my X chromosomes are defective) I found a geometric lace that didn’t give me the shudders. Off we go then!
I interlined it in a turquoise blue stretch cotton woven and went to town. I even got the neck notches right this time.
Headless Esme in blue not-lacey lace sheath
Look at those buenos notches.
And because Headless Esme’s rack is higher and smaller than mine, here ’tis on real flesh in a crappy phone photo:
Dress Two: New Look 6067
I made this twice but I’ll spare you a look a the second one because it was a costume made in nasty stretch silver for a space-themed gathering. This one is much classier… so classy that the first time I wore it, I didn’t feel like myself. It was too tasteful.
Black linen New Look 6067
The little turned over collar and buttons are pretty dandy.
The linen was an op shop score yeeeeears ago. It reeked of cheap dye and stained my yellow cardie on its first wear. Four or five washes later it doesn’t smell but I will be sniffing every bit of fabric from now on. If it has the stink, it’s not welcome in the stash.
Dress and-a-half: Butterick B5101
Last weekend I dragged Moggy (kicking and screaming, as you can imagine) to the Rathdowne Remnants yard sale. (We got $1/m cream merino jersey. We win.) She was wearing a becomming frock so I borrowed the pattern when I dropped her off and went home to make it, thinking it would be ideal for my impending USA trip. I’ve had this green wool jersey in the stash for years (I think it was a v. cheap Darn Cheap score because it had a fault or two in it) so schnip schnip, I cut it out.
LE BOO.
It looks like a dressing gown on me. The solid colour is blah. The fit is for the slender of hip not the ample of pelvis. It’s just naff. It remains unfinished. What’s the point? Maybe jersey dresses are never going to be my thing. I’ve tried a few and they’ve never lasted long.
Green jersey dress fail. Headless Esme doesn't fill it out right but it doesn't look much better on me. Bummer.
PHEW! Now I’m up to date. Clearly it’s time to start something new. More good travel clothes, methinks.
Make it 'til you fake it 
That blue not-lacey lace dress is amazing! Nice work!
You nailed the fit on the blue dress! Lovely collar detail on the black one. Go on, show us the silver one!
I feel your pain about being ‘too tasteful’ I love a lot of my patterns and bought them becasue someone online made a killer version- sometimes it was you!- and I look at the pattern and think ‘that may be too adult for me’…I’m 41. This probably won’t get better. I love your notched collar sheathes!
OMG! This “lace” dress is wonderful!! Soooo pretty!!
i’m not a fan of lace either but your dress is absolutely gorgeous and it looks stunning on you
wonderful job on the lace dress. Really like your version of the New Look dress too, I also want to see the silver one.
Why so many good dresses and so many good details in one post? I’m going CRAZY scrolling up and down, up and down… they are AMAZING. I don’t know what I like best… those notched collar thingies… AMAZING.
I bet the jersey one will pull together somehow… I’d make a lower neckline, but that’s how I’d like my wrap dresses, with a little more Va Voom.
Happy planning for your holidays!
I’ve been dreaming of that new look as a black dress, too! Yours turned out great.