When we booked a Christmastime voyage on the Cunard Queen Victoria, I decided I wanted to sew a festive dress for the occasion. I had purchased 1940’s vintage Simplicity R11333 earlier in the year and it was perfect for my project. The antique-looking poinsettia cotton caught my eye at Joann Fabrics. I love how pretty and festive the print is, without looking too kitschy. I chose to sew view A but without the ruffle at the hem. The pattern was easy to follow and fit well. It features a hidden side zipper and a waist sash. While the pattern calls for functioning back buttons, I sewed them on superficially because I was running out of time, and besides the side zipper made the dress easy to put on and take off.
When I was about a quarter of the way through my sewing project, I couldn’t help but feel there was something familiar about the look of my dress. Then it hit me, vintage Laura Ashley dresses! They have that feminine, conservative, cottagecore vibe, A quick search online confirmed my comparison was accurate. I spent some time looking at vintage Laura Ashley ads on Pinterest and saw one where they had styled the dress with white lace wrist length gloves. I loved it! So naturally I acquired gloves just like them and had a blast wearing my self-made Christmas dress to events and dinner aboard the Queen Victoria.
I came to learn there are actually Laura Ashely sewing patterns that can be found today on places like etsy and ebay. There is even deadstock Laura Ashely fabric that can be found on occasion. I would suggest this sewing pattern is an excellent match to achieve a vintage Laura Ashely dress style. What do you think? I look forward to wearing this dress for many Christmas seasons to come!
