21/31 Holiday Dress for a Happy 2014

Happy 2014 sewing and blogging friends! How futurist of us to be here now, in this year! WOW.

I pulled together this dress to wear on New Year's Eve last night, which was a very low key occasion at our place with my parents. Baby Darling had a great last day of 2013, as he'd napped for a massive 3 hours and was feeling very good about staying up for dinner with us, and 'cheers-ing' the new year ahead. We had some sparklers for him and they made him stay very still with his hands behind his back in wonderment. So sweet.

But, this week we also got a new car. A Smart Car. Our business has been going well, and needs expenses so Husbie sold the scooter, and leased this little bubble rollerskater thing, and we are officially in the future with our red rocket raygun of a car! Um, hilarious!

The dress fabric is thrifted (and a little see through - above! - when backlit!) and maybe from the 1970s, but I honestly can't remember if it's new or old to the stash... but that's where it's from, my gorgeous and falling down all over the sewing room floor fabric stash. It's a polyester light fabric, and with a slight stretch, I thought a maxi dress (were they always called maxi's? I think not but it's not really a muu muu like my Dad thinks?) would be good for our holiday (we leave on Friday!) as it'll be HOT.

I once again drafted up this pattern, by lying a dress that does fit well, on the fabric pieces... I measured the fabric into two long rectangles (front & back), and then cut a front bodice piece & a back bodice piece but kept the underarm side/seam bits very wide... so that I could try it on and see whether the fabric suited a snug fit or a baggy fit. With strips of binding I did the neckline and the armholes like the Built By Wendy instructions say... the way I always make stretch clothing, really!

Then I overlocked the side seams, leaving them very wide across, but after a few fittings for the length, I decided it would be more flattering as a closer fit... but not too close, as the fabric doesn't have that much stretch... so loose and kinda fitting it is!

I don't usually wear long dresses because of my frame & size (petite 4 foot eleven, but with larger bust size, means most fabrics hang like a bag off the boobs) but since this is a comfy beachy holiday, I thought something soft and different would be great. That's why I made it a little snug fitting around the waist, so you can still see a bit of my hourglass (I'm sewing with 36/27/36 measurements at the moment!) figure here. Or I hope you can!

Hope you're enjoying the new year so far, and I wish that all your dreams come true in 2014... if you are a dreamer... but if you're practical like me, just go do stuff and I bet if you keep your positive frame of mind, stuff will always be amazing.

xoxo