Finished Object! Advance 7968 1950s Dress

Finished on schedule for my birthday on the 20th March! Only just, with 20 minutes to spare before midnight on the 19th. I'd left the hand finishing at cuffs and hem, and sewing on the buttons to the end, which took longer than I thought.

I'm so happy with the dress and the fit is great, so here's my pattern review;

Pattern

Advance 7968 purchased on Ebay. I made view 1 with 3/4 sleeves and a pretend buttoned front.

Fabric & Notions

Fabric was a striped cotton shirting from Mandors, which was unusually soft for a shirting, with a nice drape, and not sheer at all. Glass buttons bought at an antique fair in Nice about 2 years ago (I love how cosmopolitan that sounds).

Pattern Adjustments
After making my toile I made the following adjustments:

• Lengthened bodice by 1 inch
• Brought in the side seams by about 1/2 inch
• Took in 1/2 at centre back (Thanks Molly for this idea!)
• Made a broad shoulder adjustment to front and back by taking out the shoulders by 1 cm
• Lengthened bust tucks by about 1/2 inch
• Chopped about 10cm off the final length so the skirt was about knee length instead of the unflattering mid-calf length

Any challenges?

Some bits of the pattern made me puzzle a little but with careful re-reading it became clear. There were a lot of numbered notches to match up which helped. The sleeves with the turned back cuff were a bit tricky but I worked it out eventually.

Huh?

The zip was tricky as I haven't put in a zip for over a year )not quite sure how I managed this) and it fits underarm. It's a bit messy so I have opted not to show you a photo, but I think it's not too noticeable due to its position. I think I did ok with matching the stripes;

Look how well matched that pocket is!

There is also a matching belt but I haven't yet bought a buckle or the interfacing for inside the belt but I will probably tackle this at some point. 

I made the effort to sew the buttons on properly, using a cocktail stick held behind the button to create a loop of thread as a shank. And for once, they feel pretty firm.

The finishing touch!

Would I make it again?

Yes, definitely. Especially after taking the time to get the fit right by making a toile. I think it's a really versatile dress.

Cost (approx)

Pattern      £8

Fabric       £28

Buttons     £3

Total = £39

As per my post last month, my next project is to finish my Simplicity skirt by the weekend. I think I have most of Saturday to sew so am hoping it should get finished. I've also nearly finished a shawl I've been knitting too.

K x