Gingham Is My Love Language

Well that and a good floral.

Last year, while I was shopping I saw the prettiest floral fabric that paired really well with a pale pink gingham.  And well, you know the rest of the story. Yep - I bought both fabrics.

I have been wanting to make Simplicity 8551 again, ever since I finished my first one. 

There's really nothing new to say about this pattern.  I did all of my usual things.  EXCEPT this time I tried to add a flirty keyhole in the sleeve.  Do you see it?  Nope, because it was horrible and I actually altered the sleeves to get rid of it! 

As I like to do, I used the pink gingham in 3 places: it's clearly on the neck facing; there's bias around the sleeves to hem them; and the ties.  The pocket facing is also gingham and I added bias to the bottom before adding a 2" hem.

If I make another version - and I still might, the neckline with the grommets is still on my radar, I will make the ties wider. 

Clearly, I took my own photos.  The other day I wore this dress and thought I'd just pull out the new tripod with remote and see if I could get any halfway decent photos.  They aren't too shabby, and practice make better.  Plus - no blog posts without photos. 

Gingham Anyone?

 If you've made McCall's 7969, there's a good chance you've made it out of gingham.  I mean, I see many gingham versions when I scroll the hashtag on instagram.  And ever since retiring my all time favorite gingham ESP dress, I've needed a new gingham dress in my life. So, it was a no brainer to make another #M7969, just like the first.

The only thing I did different in this dress was to add pockets.  And omit a snap at the cross-over front, but I think I'm gonna add that. 

For the hem on this one, I cut 4" wide bias strips from the scraps.  I sewed them all together. Then, I sewed the bottom of the dress and the bias strip together, with the right side of the bias against the wrong side of the dress.  This was the seam was enclosed.  Sewed, serged, pressed and then top stitched the top of the band down.  I also stitched around the bottom. 

This dress is soo easy to wear.  I bought the fabric at Belmont Fabrics.  It was in their precut section and it's a poly blend of some sort, but it managed to stay cool in the heat and humidity of our corner of Pennyslvania.

Carolyn and I both wore McCalls 7969 when we took a roadtrip up to see Julie at FabricMart.  Isn't it great how different fabrics make the same pattern so unique? 

Seriously, find yourself a friend like Carolyn to take your photos.  I promise you won't be made about it. 

Have you made McCall's 7969 yet?  If not, what's stopping you?

The Dress that Started it All

 Well, that's not exactly true. My Hope Dress started my love for billowy dresses with amazing sleeves. But this one comes in a close second.  I have had Jeanette's Hope saved in my IG account for years! Since 2020 when she made it. While many since have stopped my scroll, this was the first one that did.

I had a pretty piece of "silky" fabric bought at JoAnn's that I was never sure what I was going to do with it. I had originally cut this dress out in the fall of 2021, right after I made Hope, thinking the colors would make a great Thanksgiving dress. Then I added it to the vacation sewing list. And finally, started it in last summer 2022 and finished during a #CarriageCornerSewCamp.

This dress just always seems to work. It's fun to wear and I always get compliments on it. 

For this first version, I most likely made the XL size. Of course, there are NO NOTES anywhere. I had 2 different journals that I sporadically used and nothing. Based on my measurements I would have started with the XL and made no alterations. Can someone please tell me what my aversion to writing the pattern size on the traced version is?!

I had seen enough versions on Instagram to know that the wrap front can often be very low.  So after making the bodice, I tried it on, pinned it where I wanted the 2 pieces to overlap and added a snap. The only thing I wish I had done?  Add pockets!

The silky fabric means that the dress is flowing and has a ton of volume but actually lays fairly close to my body. It's also really cool, especially in the hot, humid Pennsylvania summer. I need to make more dresses with this fabric.

 Per the instructions, which I so rarely follow, I interfaced all the bands and hand sewed them on the inside.  I don't really mind handsewing, so not an issue.

For the skirt, again I measured my Hope. The waist seam on the hope falls in about the same place as the waist on this dress.  So with that in mind, I cut roughly 2 lengths of fabric by 39". Sewed the side seams, gathered to the waist and then tried it on for hemming.  After serging the raw edge, I turned up 1/2" then 2" and it's pretty perfect!  

I have already made another and I know it won't be the last one I make. Have you made McCall's 7969 yet? If not, what's stopping you?

Once again, many thanks to Carolyn for not only making beautiful versions of this pattern that made me want to make it, but for making me look beautiful wearing it.