My Second Sewing Project

Last summer I started to sew this dress. I made most of it in four months.

I wanted to make a work dress that had a 1950's house wife look, except with a longer, bigger skirt.

Underneath I am wearing two petticoats, so the skirt is quite big.

I do not like how the bodice or waist line looks, but I made a belt separate to it, which improves it a bit.

I used one main pattern for the bodice, but the neck line was not where I wanted it, so I had to adjust it.

It took me a whole month to finish the collar and neck line, but I like it now.

I did the pockets this January. I made them way too small, but at least I can put things in them!

I am rather proud of the sleeves; I made the cuff myself.

The dress was supposed the be buttoned down the front, but I put a zipper in the back to save time and ease.

When I make sleeves, they always end up with extra material at the top, but a little gather gives it a good end result.

Before I started sewing, gathers used to scare me because I worried about them not being even enough. But I found a good method that allowed me to make it even by spacing it all out evenly by halves, quarters, eighths, etc, and then gathering randomly in between. At first I had no ruffled hem, but it did not look quite how I wanted it to. Then in October I sewed on a ruffled hem and it changed the whole appearance. I love ruffled hems!

I got these boots at Value Village. I really like how they look, but they are falling apart!

The pattern I used for the bodice: https://www.simplicity.com/simplicity-storefront-

The pattern I used for the skirt, only I lengthened it: https://somethingdelightful.com/b6318