Classic Navy

Here is my latest Britex project!  This time around I had the opportunity to work with a lovely lightweight wool tricotine.

I will admit that about halfway through this project I was convinced that this was going to be a dud.  Suddenly I was working on the most boring dress in the world.

Thankfully, my case of the grumps departed, and I decided to stick with the project, because now I have a classic dress in a classic color.  And all of those hand rolled hems on the peplum edges were not a total waste!

I did manage to kill one of those Maxant buckle kits; the double layer of wool was just too much for the thin metal.  But Peter saved me. Along with a bunch of patterns he sent me last year, he included a vintage buckle kit.  I had some hesitation using it because the packaging is so darn cute - but I was desperate!

Once again, vintage is best!  The buckle has those little teeth that grab the fabric and a back which snaps into place (much like my favorite covered button kits).  I really wish they still made these! 

Navy goes with just about every color – especially jewel tones (which happen to be some of my favorite hues!).  I believe I am going to have to add more of this color to my wardrobe.  Suddenly I feel the need for a navy pencil skirt, and a navy blouse . . .

Dress:  Made by me, New Style 2259

Tilt Hat:  Made by me, Vogue 7657

Shoes:  Colin Stuart

Earrings:  Made by me (with buttons from Britex)

Brooch:  Vintage

Gloves:  Vintage

Purse:  Banana Republic

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

Losing the Light

I have been working away on my latest Britex project. 

If the idea of working with this mess intimidates you, check out my latest guest post on working with vintage patterns.  My pattern choice was this New Style mail order pattern from the late 1940s.

The fabric is a wonderful light-weight navy wool tricotine.  Solid color fabrics are difficult for me, but this one has a lovely herringbone texture.  It is hard to notice unless you look very carefully, but it keeps a garment from looking flat.

I did not bother making a muslin of the entire dress for this pattern.  After measuring, it was clear that the skirt would fit. 

There was one issue, however.  The bodice back tissue was torn along the armscye.  There was a bit of guesswork to figure out what the original curve looked like with an unprinted pattern.  And I wanted to make sure that my sleeve would fit properly, so a test run was necessary.

It is a good thing I did, because the outer edge of the short sleeve was ridiculously wide.  With my lightweight material, it was going to look droopy and pathetic, just like it did in the cotton.  But the set-in sleeve went in perfectly!  I pleated the extra width out of the sleeve, keeping the sleeve head as-is.

What originally drew me to this design was the double peplum with the side draping.  Classic 1940s! 

This project has made it quite clear that I am going to have to do something about the lighting in my apartment.  Working with a fabric that is almost black was challenging!

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