Fruity as Ever!

Last month I finished up my last summer dress of the season.  I used a piece of vintage fabric that I'd bought off etsy and had stored in the cupboard for *cough* a few years.  The five yards of fruity print turned out to be much more sheer than I'd anticipated.  Think cheesecloth variety.  Perfect for frilly kitchen curtains, but since I had dressmaking on the brain, I stubbornly forged ahead.

This late 1940s pattern from Advance seemed just the thing.  Simple lines, side zip, one button closure at the back of the neck, no sleeves or darts.  The only thing that really needed to fit was the waistline.

Being the first piece of uber sheer fabric I've worked with, I learned quickly how to feed the material at just the right pace.  Too much ease under the dogfeet, and my seams shrunk up by inches!  But not enough ease, and the seams got miles longer.  And since it was so sheer, it also required a lot more hand finishing (sleeve openings, hemline, scrunched belt around the waistline - all hemmed by hand).  So this is why I stick with cotton!

Overall I'm happy with the dress.  My dear husband was kind enough to even up the hemline with a pinking shears while I stood on a chair.  I had the perfect white slip in my closet (from my slip buying binge back in June).  And I had just refurbished my straw hat, too!

So with my leftover scraps I still may be able to squeak out some kitchen valances.  Or perhaps a headscarf is in order.  I do have one more piece of sheer fabric in the cupboard.  But we'll just save that for another day.  :)