Just a little bit of fun I thought I make a a little fun video of some of my tops I made for #TopIdol challenge
1: Charm Rita blouse with Gertie Patreon Bishop sleeve extension in blue and whtie crepe de chine
2: Charm Rita blouse with Gertie Patreon Bishop sleeve extension (as above) with Charm Princess cropped jacket in boiled wool
3:Rita Blouse with bishop sleeves in dark green and black Animal print challis (minerva)
4:Charm peplum Jacket in olive wool (minerva)
5:Royal blue Gertie patreon ‘Joan sweetheart neck’ top
6: Rita blouse in green floral challis fabric (minerva)
7: Slash neck Joan top in striped ponte roman
8: Vogue 9187 1960s top in Bali Rayon cotton (Minerva)
9: Joan sweetheart top in ponte roma denim blue (minerva)
Pictured with Gertie patreon ‘Audrey cigarette’ pants in either royal blue or black ponte roma

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My 1957 Madam Gres dress is now finished and on the Mannequin, sadly she is a bit wonky ( I really need a new one) so she doesnt do the best at showing off my makes but hoping I might be able to do the ‘reveal’ pics of me wearing it tomorrow or over the weekend.

The pattern recommends wool crepe but I guess fabric choices were limited in the 50’s but I have to say it was a perfect choice for this dress as it holds the shape well and hardly creases so thank you Minerva for the gift of this beautiful fabric.
I have to admit I was a bit nervous of working with such a quality fabric but my nervousness soon disappeared as it was an absolute dream to work with and my sewing machine that has been known to throw an odd tantrum if it doesnt like a fabric loved it.

As mentioned before this was an original pattern from the era of perforated rather than printed patterns and was a bit hard to distinguish markings from small tears but luckily there was a map of the markings in the instructions to help me. I retraced the whole pattern onto swedish tracing paper which i didnt with my trial pattern which didn't make life easy, lesson learnt! As you can see there are a series of pleats in the bodice and corresponding pleats in the skirt with a midsection at the waist, a very large collar which is so 50s and a thin tie around the neck . I wasn't sure if I liked the tie so made a pussy bow but it hides the collar edge and some of the pleats so I decided to leave it true to the design and who am I to question her design? When I wear it I will place a brooch there but wanted to leave it off for these pics to show the design.
I think this will be one of my outfits for Goodwood Revival this year as is probably a style a lady of my age would of worn at the time.
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So I have made yet another Princess charm jacket, thats now 2 coats and 3 jackets (1 peplum). I decided i make another jacket to go with my godet 1950s dress this time I went for the bell sleeve option as I had not done that one yet and wanted to line the sleeve with same floral fabric as the dress , I had this wool mix fabric in my stash, it's not quite the right shade but hopefully not to noticeable. I finished it with some vintage buttons I had for a while and wanted the right thing to use them on and I think this is it!
So I wonder what the next charm jacket/coat will be lol!
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Lets have some fun! Same dress, different accessories! got this mad feather 1950s hat off ebay, its lost a few feathers but is really cute I think. love accessorising differently to give a different look

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#vintagevogue #vintagepattern #voguepattern #vintagefashion #vintagepattern #sewingbee #greatbritishsewingbee
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I am excited to share with you my Sew Over It Marguerite Dress in a gorgeous ivory yellow floral Cotton Lawn. I recently bought this pattern in the January sale. I loved the simplicity of it but how ‘effortlessly chic’ it looked. I looked at the hashtags on Minerva and Instagram and was really inspired by how different the dress can look in a variety of fabrics and prints.

Sizing

I checked the sizing and decided to make the dress in a size 8. The bust and the hips are quite forgiving as it gathers at the waist into a waistband. The initial try on found that it was quite tight in the waist. I took some out of the seam allowance and this did help, but next time I make it I shall just add a few cms onto the waistband. Other than the waistband the fit was perfect and I found it quite flattering on my body type.

Fabric

The fabric is a lovely ivory cotton lawn with a yellow floral print. The fabric was easy to press, gather and use on my sewing machine. It is rather lightweight (as is all cotton lawn) and therefore I will be wearing a slip under it. If I find myself not wearing it much because of this I may also line the skirt.

I did finish all the seams with an overlocker as I was worried that after several washes it may start to fray.

Making the dress

The Marguerite Dress has a demi-fitted bodice with bust darts which gathers into the waistband. the skirt is knee length and can be made with pockets. I decided not to add pockets as if I had them, I would worry about putting anything in them and stretching the seams. The dress has a zip in the back which finished halfway down the back and has a slit detail that closes with a hook an eye. The dress is knee length and I think if I make another summer version I may add a few cms onto the hem to lengthen it slightly, but that is a personal choice on the skirt length I am comfortable with in the summer.

The sleeves have a tapered cuff that don’t make a lot of sense when you sew them up the first time, but once they have been attached its clear to see why they are made this way.

If I am honest, I did not enjoy
sewing up this dress as much as some of the other Sew Over It patterns. When I did the first try on however and saw how lovely it looked it gave me the push, I needed to finish it. I do not know why I did not enjoy the sewing process as I was able to learn more skills (the sleeves) and I love the finish result. Maybe I was just a little tried that day! I did enjoy the hand sewing that was needed to finish the waistband and the sleeves as it gave me something to do whilst I watched Netflix in the evening.

Finished

Overall, I love this dress and definitely think I will be making myself some more. Now I have made a summer version I will be looking how to make some that I can pair with tights and boots in the autumn and spring.


Happy Sewing,
Laura @Lollysmakes93