Perfect Summer Dress - The Jiffy Popover

I've seen so many great versions of the Popover dress sewn up since Gertie's newest book, Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses came out.

The dresses in this book are meant to be quick to sew and the Popover certainly fits the bill. It's essentially one main pattern piece that creates a tent-like dress with no zippers or openings that you can just pull on over your head, and create shape by either belting or shirring.

After reading some other reviews and experiences I decided to size down and went with the 10 (I usually make a 16 in Gertie books) but used the armscye from the 16. I decided to use some lovely deep teal blue gingham lightweight cotton I picked up on our last trip to Paris. I cut it on the bias like her shirred pink gingham version in the book, and decided for a little extra fun I wanted to add a ruffle on the bottom! That made it a tad less jiffy, but it was totally worth it. I wanted to get it done before we left for a little overnight trip, so I wore it belted which was great. I was just able to snap a few quick pics with my phone before we left, here it is unbelted and before I added the fun giant pockets!

              

With a belt!

And with pockets!

 I especially love the different directions of the gingham on the dress, ruffle, and oversized pockets.

 Then when we got back I went ahead and shirred it, and I LOVE it even more! It is so so comfortable and cool and just easy to wear, perfect for summer! I played with the shirring quite a bit, trying it on and adding more where I wanted as I went. Shirring can be addictive!

View of the innards!

I finally managed to get some better photos this weekend! I've been living in this dress and probably will continue to especially as we're about to start hitting 100+ degree weather this week.

It also still looks great with the belt! I love that I can wear it as a lazy lounging comfy dress, or more dressed up with a more nipped in waist and fuller petticoat.

So versatile, super comfy, and COOL which is a must in the Texas summer heat. I foresee this being my go-to dress for the summer!

Chinese Tea Party Dress - Simplicity 8244

I've had Simplicity 8244 on my short list to sew for a while, so when I was invited to a friends tea party with a Chinese theme, I figured it was the perfect excuse! I dug through my stash and decided on a lovely berry pink floral print cotton.

Since I tend to sew garments with full skirts mostly, I'm always a little bit nervous when tackling a skirt or dress with a slimmer fit. I went with the size 22, no FBA, but after measuring the pattern pieces at the hips (I couldn't find garment measurements for them on the pattern) I decided to add a few inches just to be safe. I'm always worried about busting a seam when I sit down, lol!

The dress went together fairly easily! My one big mistake, a common one for me when I'm cutting out anything that isn't just on the fold or doubled, is I cut the front piece backwards, oops! I realized it when I was checking to make sure I didn't cut out the shoulder piece wrong, lol. Ah well, I figure most people won't know it attaches the wrong way at the shoulder.

It was my first time using frogs, I just love what a statement they make, and I was impressed with how well they worked (I'm always worried things will just pop out!)

Though I don't like facings, I went ahead and followed the pattern using them since I didn't want to fully line it (it's SO hot outside, we've had a 100+ streak lately that I'm ready to leave behind). I did, however, make a slip using Gertie's Butterick 6031. It was very simple to make and was exactly what I needed, I'll likely make more soon.

I was very happy with the final result, it was comfortable, and not too hot (even with the high neck, I was a little worried it would suffocate me but I was fine), and bonus I got a couple compliments from strangers when I stopped at the store on the way home, always a boost!

Valentine's Day Dress - Gertie Princess Seam Bodice

Well it has been a little while since I last posted, but I've been pretty busy sewing! My latest make for myself was for Valentine's Day. I used some red/pink gingham shirting I'd had in my closet for a while, and decided to use the princess seam bodice from Gertie's Ultimate Dress Book, and one of my favorite skirt shapes, the overskirt from the Walkaway Dress Pattern B4790 (with pockets added of course), just like I used for one of my first franken-patterns. 

I decided to take the time to get a really great fit for the bodice, and followed the instructions in the book to do a Full Bust Adjustment on a princess seam. I also added length to the bodice, and added width to the 3/4 sleeves. I was extremely happy with the result! I think this is the first time a princess seam bodice didn't squish my bust, and I love that it fits and yet is also very comfortable to wear. 

I will definitely be using this bodice again now that I've altered it to fit me, I already have a couple other dresses to make in mind, and want to experiment with different skirts (gathered, pleated, circle). So stay tuned!

1930s Inspired Summer Outift

I had so many plans for summer outfits, but so far this is all I have managed to get done. Fortunately, the skirt especially has become a summer staple. It seems like every time I wear this I get tons of compliments, one day I went out and literally every person I spoke with mentioned how much they liked it, including my dentist, lol!

It was really quick and simple to sew up as well, using McCalls 6993 version B. While researching this pattern, I found several examples of version A which is adorable and fabulous, but I wanted something a bit quicker and simpler, so I chose version B.

The top is a mish-mash of the very simple and popular McCalls 7542, and the top tier of ruffle sleeves from Vogue 9243. I had to add a little bit more shape and length to the McCalls bodice since the boxiness wasn't super flattering. I just wanted, again, something fairly simple and quick or I would have just gone with the princess seamed Vogue bodice.

I used a lovely floral stretch denim from JoAnn Fabrics for the skirt, and cotton coral eyelet for the top. I underlined the eyelet for the bodice but not for the sleeves. The color of the eyelet was a bit difficult to capture, it kept turning out more orange looking in the pics, but this one is pretty close to the real color.

With the underlining it ended up a little bit heavier than I hoped, so I haven't worn it much because it has been so hot! I'll probably wear it a bit more in the fall and winter, the sleeves are so much fun!

Untucked so you can see the whole thing.

Of course I added a pocket to the skirt, and I encased all my raw edges in Snug Hug on the inside.

I wore this on our road trip to Santa Fe which was great!

I think the skirt will be one I pull out again and again because it's comfy and easy to wear! Once it's a bit cooler I hope to wear the top a bit more.