This dress has unexpectedly stolen my heart. It's not a style that I ever thought I would completely love...but I do!
I used Butterick 6323, a pattern designed by Gertie. I have been following Gertie since the early days as we both started blogging around the same time and I have just LOVED everything she has created.
This was one of the patterns that I saw at the local fabric shop when I was visiting family in the United States. It was a pattern that I bought because I really liked the illustration but I kinda knew I probably wouldn't get to sewing it soon. It's a bit of a departure from my normal 1940s style.
Wow, I couldn't have been more wrong about how much I love this style. The thing that prompted me to sew it was the unique Nigerian wax print fabric that I got as a present on a recent work trip to Abuja. I just love Nigerian fabrics and styles but this fabric also had a bit of a midcentury feel with the colours and the circles. But as you can see from the fabric below, the border print was unique and I wanted a pattern that would really show it off (it's also pictured with some other fabric that I still have yet to sew with.....exciting!).
So I searched and searched through all my patterns for ones that would showcase a border print and up popped Butterick 6323 and I decided to give it a go.
The pattern was brilliant. It was my FIRST time sewing with boning and it was relatively painless after looking up some online tutorials (and having bought the supplies in the US).
I did struggle with getting the bodice to fit tight enough and I was a silly girl and didn't make a muslin of the bodice (I know, I know...). So I ended up with about a 1 inch gap in the bodice front where it was a bit too wide (but just at the front)! So I ended up just taking a tuck under the shoulder bow (you can kind of see it in the photo above, the small gathers under the bow--that's from my 'I should have made a muslin tuck'. hahaha.
I do LOVE the shoulder tie and how it lays...so classy. In future iterations, I will also take a bit of length off the back and front bodice (not too much though). You can see some small wrinkles in the back and in the photo below on the bodice front--especially in how it looks without the belt. But if I stand up straight and wear a belt, it virtually disappears (or maybe the viewer gets distracted? hahaha. I'll take it!)
The photos above were taken in Abuja, Nigeria in their central park area--such a beautiful place. The photos below were taken at a classic car show in California--for more midcentury vibes!
I definitely want to make more of these and will be on the look out for more fabulous and unique border print fabrics! What about you? Do you love a good border print as much as me?
Photography: In garden: Godwin Oisi Photography
At classic car show: Spike and the Camera, MUAH: @lizcarrillomua
Shoes for both: Bait Footwear