Tuesday, June 4, 2013

1960s Chenille: The Finished Dress!


This is one of those projects that developed a life of its own.


I have been wanting to challenge myself with an unfamiliar silhouette - something different is always a bit scary, but also fun.  The 1960s sack-back dress has always been intriguing, so I decided to try it.


If it was good enough for Lucy, it is good enough for me!


It takes a really fabulous design to make me purchase a pattern that is much too small.  The idea of grading a pattern is not so fun when you want to start sewing.  But this dress was worth the extra effort for me.


And then there were buttons to make, a belt, a bow, and it seemed silly not to complete the outfit with a hat. If I knew how to make shoes, I image I would have been cobbling away (can you cobble a shoe made of fabric?).


The chenille was a bit of a challenge to work with, but absolutely worth the extra effort in the end.  One of these days I am going to have to get a walking foot and a needle board with all of the velvet and textured fabric I like to work with.  Thankfully, I enjoy hand sewing/basting!


The day these photos were taken the wind would not let up.  It is really unbelievable how those two combs kept my hat in place, and my hairspray was incredible.  My hair was probably flammable for days afterwards, but what are you going to do?  Which makes me think that the hairstyles of the 1960s, combined with all of those cigarettes, must have led to some hazardous situations!



Dress:  Made by me, Simplicity 2577
Hat:  Made by me, Butterick 4697
Gloves:  Vintage
Shoes:  Nina
Purse:  Banana Republic

[The fabric for this dress was received in exchange for my contributions as a Britex Guest Blogger.]



23 comments:

  1. Show-stoppingly sophisticated, gorgeous ensemble. The combo or burnished gold and deep raspberry looks so strikingly wonderful on you. This outfit is fantastic - very redolent of something I could have seen Sophia Loren wear for a posh role during the 60s.

    ♥ Jessica

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  2. Yes! You can nicely cobble shoes from fabric. I plan to try this when I get some time. Check this out:
    http://www.marywalesloomis.com/index.html

    Your ensemble is lovely. Beautiful work.

    I enjoyed meeting you at the meetup last month. :)
    -Rebecca

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  3. OOOH WOWWW!!! I love it! so beautiful! The hat is so cute and the whole outfit is just perfect.

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  4. Gorgeous! I (erroneously) thought that the sack back would make for an unflattering silhouette, but seeing the finished dress on you...it's just beautiful! Now I want one for myself.

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  5. As always, I'm blown away by your results. This is such a rich look. I've been lurking, watching this come together. Your attention to detail is such an inspiration. I swear, you could wear this dress inside out and it would be just as fabulous.

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  6. The color is really fab on you. And I love the hat you made. A very pretty, put-together outfit. Wonderful job as always!

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  7. Oh, goodness, this turned out even better than I expected! That is a beautiful silhouette. You look so elegant!

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  8. You did an amazing job! This looks so elegant, and that colour!! I think I'd be living in that dress for a while. :)

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  9. The fit is amazing, and I love the color. Great job!!!

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  10. Fabulous!!!!! This silhouette looks great on you!

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  11. I'll echo what others have said: this is a very flattering silhouette on you and how fantastic that you're reviving the sack-back look. Great color and so many wonderful details. I'm so glad you opted to make a real hat and forgo Ethel's lampshade -- that's a tough look to pull off! The photos are also splendid!

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  12. Wow... that is just wonderful!! You did an amazing job. Wow! Thanks for sharing.

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  13. Hard to imagine that with chenille and blousing that the silhouette would be trim looking - but it is. Ethel's ice bucket hat is a hoot.

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  14. That is a gorgeous outfit...and classy!

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  15. The very name of the "sack-back" is enough for me to assume that it would look awful, or at the very least, silly. Yet here you are to prove me wrong. This is pure elegance. The pleats and draping in the back look luxuriously full rather than sloppy, while the front still looks neat and fitted. It's a mystery, but if anyone could pull it off, you could!

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  16. Stunning! The buttons on your skirt back are the sweetest detail.

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  17. I love this post and your dress! I think that sack-back look is wonderful. And I am still laughing about the hairspray!

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  18. This is gorgeous! The fabric you choose drapes perfectly for this silhouette. The matching hat is just the icing on the cake. :]

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  19. Um, I think this is my favourite dress that you've made! Gorgeous! The colour is spot on also. I want it!

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  20. Really lovely! Kudos to you for trying a new look. I love the hat as well.

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  21. Lara Thornberry linked to you and I followed her link- wow, what a gorgeous dress, and I agree- great colour, great style...I wasn't sure what 'sack back' was going to look like! Stunning.

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