Pink and orange retro 60's sheath dress
I wanted to make something bright, cheery, girly, and summery for my parents' 1960's "California Dreamin'" party, and I had this image in my head of bright print mini dresses, big plasticy sunlgasses, and ladies walking around cute downtown streets carrying wicker bags. In my mind, the dresses are simple a-line straight ones, short and bright and a little stiff!
I went to my pattern stash and pulled out McCall's M5799. I bought it ages ago (it appears to be out of print) and don't think I've ever used it... I wanted a basic, versatile sheath dress pattern, but I rarely make them because I don't usually find them very flattering! Can be pretty bust-minimizing, which is not something I look for in a dress. Or they can be too loose, especially from home sewing patterns (my gripes about that here and here). Instead of giving it a full lining, I went the quick way and created a self-fabric facing for the neck and arm holes. I interfaced it and it works well to support the openings.
I cut out the dress last Friday and sewed it over the course of two Pretty Little Liars episodes on Saturday morning. It went together fast, obviously!
Not as bad as I was afraid the fit might be! I'm glad I don't have to wear these all the time, but it's super fun for the party!
I went to How to Be a Retronaut to see if I could find pics of the summer 1960's vibe I was imagining, and I didn't find the perfect thing, but I did find this funny series! My new dress looks an awful lot like a summery, cotton version of these uniforms...
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| Source: How to Be A Retronaut |
Guess I chose an appropriate colors!
How did people wear dresses that short all the time?!!? (Girl in the upper right has matching panty shorts underneath, but still... what a tough style to pull off!!!)
Anyway, that's the story of the pink dress. It was a hit!
I love this dress :) I'm not sure the color schemes etc in your home, but have you ever considered using the remainder of this pretty fabric and making a roman shade for your kitchen or bathroom?? That might be a fun way to ensure you can see it smiling back at you each day!
ReplyDeletelooks like the perfect 60s summer dress!
ReplyDeleteLove the colors together and your dress looks great on you. I have to admit I am a fan of the 60's style since I great up in that decade. The short dress with matching panties were called "Sizzlers". I have to admit I owned a couple of those type dresses. But I was young and I considered myself "Hip". Now I am old and consider myself "Vintage".
ReplyDeleteLovely dress but like you I love the colours in the fabric, would be perfect for a project I've been thinking about for a while, making a giant pouffe cushion. Kinda like this one on Design Sponge...
ReplyDeletehttp://www.designsponge.com/2010/05/sewing-101-making-a-pouf.html
It's a super cute dress. I can't believe how short the ones in the picture are!
ReplyDeleteAwesome! I'd love to make a pouf sometime, too. I pinned this one ages ago... http://pinterest.com/pin/59672763782507389/ I'm a little intimidated but would love to have one!
ReplyDeleteYou learned to never, ever bend at the waist- all movements were made at the knee. You did a half kneel to get a drink from a water fountain. You lowered yourself into a car seat, then swung your legs in- keeping them tight together! If you dropped something, you knelt. You just didn't raise your arms over your head. We all had super strong knees in those days!
ReplyDeleteLove the dress. It takes me back. I had one made of bright orange linen/cotton with one of those oversized zippers down the front in hot pink. The pockets were trimmed in hot pink, too.
Adorable! Looks so great on you. And now, you too, can be a flight attendant from the 60's, love that pic!
ReplyDeleteRed dress girl team. http://www.bestpromdress2014.com/red-bridesmaid-dresses-uk62_42_50 Bold red is so glamorous.
ReplyDeleteHi Suzannah,
ReplyDeleteThat is a lovely lively dress!!!
Does not it feel great to wear your own creations! The best part is that it costs so less.
keep it up