So now that summer is officially over, let me start catching up on posting my summer sewing! Ha.
This is a luverly lightweight cotton lawn in a small coral & aqua floral print on an ivory background. The perfect fabric for DC summers – I want a whole closet full of cotton lawn dresses for summer here!
The bodice is a hack from this vintage pattern in my collection – altered to be sleeveless, the front cut on the fold and have a waistband:
The skirt has three sets of double box pleats in both the front and backs
Which reminds me that the dress is also a mash-up of two vintage patterns. I used this one for the skirt, only I used the front piece for both front and back – the actual pattern has a plain, A-line piece for the backs and I wanted pleats all round:
I did an exposed zipper at the back both to try and cut down on the sucrose level of this dress just a teensy bit and because I’m lazy.
I’m wearing a white cotton lawn petticoat I made earlier underneath to give the skirt just a little more fullness.
The necklace is my coral bead one with matching earrings from Dames a la Mode.
Necklace and little accent bow close-up!
And a couple of interior shots to finish off showing my (now) usual technique of lining the bodice only and with cotton lawn to keep it lightweight and cool
And that’s about it!
The Modern Mantua-Maker 
Just makes me feel cooler looking at the pics. Love the inside view, I never get this neat in finishing my garments.
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Yes, I think next summer will need to be *all about* cotton voile dresses. I made a second one this year, in a different style, that became an absolute go-to on the really hot days. I have one more piece of similar voile to it and think I will need to stock up on more for next year!
And the bodice finishing has become such as standard practice for me now that it’s nearly automatic. And because it’s *just* the bodice, pretty quick, all considering!
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Blog a tutorial; blog a tutorial, PLEEEASE.
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Lovely inside and out!
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Thank you!
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“I did an exposed zipper at the back …because I’m lazy”. Uh, lazy is not a word I would use for any of your sewing, especially given the later picture of the beautifully finished insides of this ‘simple’ dress. Inspirational as always.
Hoping you get a mild winter to compensate for the summer.
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Ha! Thank you! But a machine-sewn exposed zipper really is much faster than a hand-picked one or even a lapped one, but thank you very much for the compliment! I’ve decided that I really just prefer the *feel* of a cleanly finished bodice, particularly one that’s going to lay directly against my skin in hot weather! Thank you for the mild winter wish, I hope it comes true!
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So pretty! I love that even though you used two different patterns, the gathering at the neck line mimics the waist seam gatherings. Nice job! (And am I the only one that said, “oooooooooo! Pockets!”?)
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Oh wow, I didn’t even think about the neckline tucks mimicking the skirt pleats! Well spotted! And I totally hear you re the pockets – I add pockets whenever I can!
Thank you so much for your comment!
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You are fearless!
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