Sew Weekly: Mad Men

Happy Friday! This week, myself and the Sew Weekly gals from 2011 had a 'series' return of our own in ode to the Mad Men Season 5 starting in the States this weekend! It's hard not to be around the sewing online community without knowing about Mad Men, and it's (I believe) one of the reasons vintage fashion is so dominant in many contemporary designs from the past 2-3 years... you see catwalk (not that I look at catwalks that often) designs have a real 50s / 60s flavour... and I wish I knew which designers I was talking about here... but! That's why I just make my own clothes, I guess... I haven't got the knowledge skills to be a fashion commentator!

My knitty gritty in making this dress I wrote up in my facts section on Mena's blog, but the fabric is another bedsheet from my stash (stash busting is going well!) and a pattern I bought in Bendigo at one of the op shops there... it's a 1955 which is a little early for some of the mad men fashions, but it still has a late 50s vibe with the shape overall.

For the photos we visited the council building in Footscray, and the afternoon sun made for perfect back light! You know if you're a regular of my blog, that Husbie stands facing the sun, and with me in between, so you get the sunlight on your hair, and around your frame (see my arm in the shot below 'highlighted' with the back lit sun?):

It really makes your shape stand out from the background, and that's using any camera. If your camera shows your face a little dark, you can put the flash on (seems weird to use the flash during the day) but that will bring a little light to your face while keeping the lovely light around you.

The peek a boo detail was a little tricky, especially since I didn't cut the additional neckline pieces as I thought they were facings, and I'd lined the bodice (just using spare white cotton, and the normal pattern pieces) instead... but the neckline was sooooooo wide, and sooo off the shoulder I was like this can't be a 1955 pattern! THEN, I was like 'OHHHHHH', (and read the instructions properly) and spent a little bit of hand stitching to get the collar/neckline piece attached cleanly and retrospectively. (That was a funny sentence!)

It's a really love result and make the dress just a little unusual:

The ribbons on the skirts, are just that... however they do make it look like little pockets... which in a 6 gored skirt, would actually be cute to add another time... I love all this little detail in what could be just a simple 50s frock. I never find 'interesting' patterns at the op shop, so I'm happy this one came to me... I do have one more from my trip to Bendigo, so I might save that for another Sew Weekly adventure.

It was so fun sewing again with the 2011 Sew Weekly gals, as I write this Debi's post hasn't gone up yet, but I'm sure it'll be AMAZING! I loved seeing Sarah's & Adey's creations! 

And, just quickly, here's the first of my 100 THINGS! Yippee! My challenge has begun!