A tale of two sundresses

To get a taste of my sewing prowess (limited as it is...) I'm sharing two sundresses that I made from vintage patterns.

The first is a sundress from a 1940's pattern (Simplicity 1578, Size 36.)

These days, I fluctuate somewhere between 36 and 38 (you measure dress size from the bust size.)  I was able to sew this pattern without any alterations.  I did not make the little jacket and I omitted the pockets and the ties on the shoulders.  I used Hopscotch for Chloe's Closet for Moda Fabrics, a recreation of a 1930's fabric pattern.

Here's the result:

I made a simple belt with leftover fabric and cinched it with a vintage, bakelite belt buckle.

For the second sundress, I turned the clock back a decade earlier and used a pattern from the 1930's, Butterick 6932, 38 bust.

Styles from the 30's tend to have a thinner silhouette, so a 38 bust gave me the ease that I needed.  I significantly shortened the length of the skirt.  Flared, gored skirts are usually shortened from the middle, not the bottom, in order to retain their shape.

For this dress, I used a red, blue, olive and cream seersucker fabric.  The beauty of this fabric is that it the same on both sides, so it didn't matter which way I cut the pattern pieces!  Here's the result:

Front view with same fabric belt, tied off with a red, bakelite buckle.  The red bakelite buttons at the straps are decorative.

Back view.

Close up of the button detail.

Close up of the bakelite buckle.