New year, new frock

This is an uberfrankenfrock. Using – wait for it – not one, not two, but THREE separate patterns, PLUS some shameless pinching of a spiffy detail. Headless Esme’s doing the modelling today….

From the top, we have: sleeves from New Look 6728, bodice from New Look 6968 and skirt is the tried and true, best ever not-too-heavy, not-too-light skirt from New Look 6557. Made up in a 1970s blue seersucker with cutesy flowers that I bought from a junk market last week. Plain jane, right?

Nope.

First, I lined the wee sleeves in red…

and then I shamelessly pinched a back detail I’d seen elsewhere…

…which I think makes this a mullet dress. You know, business at the front, party in the back. Something that would make it even more so (and it’s something I’m considering for a second iteration of this New Look chimera) is a straight skirt at front with a bit of flouncey flarey nonsense at back. Hmmm…

Oh. And my palm sustained two stab wounds in the manufacture of this dress. One from a pin, one from my unpicker. I strongly urge to you resist trying the second instrument if you’re considering a sewing mishap.. that bloody hurt.

I love the suburbs

I was out east today for work and since it causes me physical pain to pass an op shop without stopping in, I thought, look, spare yourself the agony and go have a poke around. It’ll be fine.

And fine it was. I already have Reader’s Digest but two won’t hurt (one in each room of the house, I say!) plus this one was $2.50. And never, ever used – still with the RD order form within. Then there was a cute 70s striped floral and a 40s seersucker with a nice nanna pattern of violets. Anyone know proper name of this fabric? Very fine, sheer seersucker? Perhaps it’s a bit later – 1950s? Enough here for a short-sleeved shirt.