Today I’d like to share a recent sewing project that started off with a hiccup, but ended up better than I imagined! I found this sewing pattern at a thrift store, and it is from the year 1980. To me, the silhouette and elements of the dress are classic and timeless, in other words, it was not “giving 1980s vibes”. I bought red corduroy while in England with the specific intention of making this dress for autumn.
Upon getting back to the States, washing the material, and laying it out to cut the fabric, I realized there was not quite enough fabric. I’m not sure what happened there, but I knew I needed to get creative. I went on Mood Fabrics and ordered 2 fabric swatches of red corduroys in hopes they may be an exact match. I also ordered 1 yard of black and white cheetah corduroy in the same weight and wale as what I had from England, “just in case”. To my delight, Mood wrote me to say that was the last yard and it had a few small holes, so they compensated me the cost, it ended up being free!
The swatches arrived and while one red swatch was very close, it was not close enough to pull it off, so I decided to make the lower skirt cheetah. That way I was able to get the length I needed. To tell you the truth, it was a “happy accident” because I think the dress is even more cute now than it would have been, had I the correct amount of red fabric!
The dress features a scooped neckline, faced with bias tape, and extended shoulders. The waist and cuffs have elastic channels creating a nice loose fit but with some shape. This dress is so “easy-breezy”, you simply pull it on over your head. It has the loose comfortable feel of a nightgown, so I do believe this is a make I will actually reach for to wear frequently. (Let’s be hones, some of my makes are kind of on the fancy side, and not so practical… but this one is!).
The pattern suggests you pair it with a store bought belt, and that’s what I did. I have a cool elasticated belt from an antique store, and I like how it looks belted with that. I also will mention, I later wore a white turtleneck under this and it looked cute as well, adding a layer of warmth. The dress pattern is a keeper. 46 years old, but still quite modern, and easy to sew up in 1 day.
