I definitely did not ~need~ a new Christmas themed dress and to be honest, I didn’t really have the time to make it before the silly season gets even sillier. But, the Christmas pin-up fabric at Spotlight was too adorable to pass up.

I did hesitate in my decision to make a 50s style dress with this fabric – would I wear it? Would it feel too constume-y? Was I just feeling nostalgic for an era of my style that no longer felt like me in day-to-day life? I decided to push through regardless. It really felt like anything less than full commitment to the 50s style would be a disservice to the gorgeous pinup pattern and thus, I pulled out my very beloved Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book and decided if I was going to do it, I was going to go all in – double circle skirt included.

(I also realise this is so past Christmas it’s ridiculous but hey, time is an illusion and I’m not waiting until next Christmas to share this).

Pattern Notes

Pattern: Polka Dot Day Dress pattern (Gertie’s Ultimate Dress Book)

Size: Size 6 (matched true to measurements – all of Gertie’s patterns are designed for a bigger hip to waist ratio than standard patterns so it’s nice to have to grade between sizes a whole lot less)

Fabric: 4m of 112cm quilting cotton from Spotlight. The pattern calls for 5m, but I chose the pattern after I’d bought the fabric so thought I’d try and squeeze it out – luckily, I really only needed 3.5m due to a) my size (yardage requirements were the same for all sizes 2-16) and b) my height (allowing me to shorten the skirt without losing the intended knee-length look).

Construction Notes

Like all fit-and-flare dresses, I knew my biggest challenge was going to be the bodice. I originally cut a size 8 in the bodice, a little bigger than my measurements but knowing I was going to have to make a FBA and that my shoulders are often wider than patterns expect them to be (based off bust measurement). My first mock-up showed me that was actually the wrong course of action – the midriff was very loose under my bust and there was a lot of gaping at the neckline (a sure sign that the high-bust is too large). I’d also added in about 1in of length to the bust but had forgotten to take any length out the midriff so the bodice was very long. Overall, not a good start.

I went back to the cutting mat and cut a straight 6 (with the same FBA because that was the one thing that had worked in the first attempt), lengthened the bust pieces by a smidge (0.5in) and shortened the midriff pieces by the same amount. I also dropped the armhole almost two inches, which felt like a lot but I’ve made enough Gertie/Charm Pattern dresses to expect to have to do that. Lowering the armhole is an adjustment I have to make on all true vintage patterns; on one hand, kudos to Gertie for staying true to the drafting style of vintage patterns but on the other hand, is she expecting the modern woman to have a toddler sized arm? Consider this a friendly warning if you have average to large sized arms/shoulders/biceps.

Luckily, once I’d fussed around with the bodice fit, the rest of the dress came together very easily. That is truly something I love about fit and flare dresses – once you’ve fit the bodice, it’s a fairly easy (if time-consuming) task to finish the rest. This beast of a skirt was no exception; a box-pleated, double circle skirt left me with just over 5m of bias bound hemming as my last step.

I make very few of these style dresses in my current practice – my style tends far more towards modern silhouettes and I wear a lot more pants than dresses in my day-to-day life. However, there is something incredibly satisfying in having this silhouette remain as a yardstick measurement of my ever-improving skill level. Making 50s style dresses feels a little like coming home; the patterns and construction methods are familiar, I know exactly what adjustments I’ll have to make, and each time I have to try a little less hard to make the sides of the waistband meet. Luckily (for my nostalgia), I have a few photos of the first ever dress I made myself; a 1957 simplicity pattern. Looking back now, I actually find it difficult to focus on the flaws (of which there are many) and which I struggled to see past for so many years. Most notably, the back is poorly fitting (I had not yet learned about fitting garments, only sewing) and also cut from a different fabric (I accidentally cut two left backs and didn’t have enough fabric to recut from the same fabric) but thankfully, time has softened the impact of those so that I really only look back at that dress with fondness. I was so immensely proud! I am still immensely proud! It started a lifelong passion for sewing unique, well-fitting garments that really suit me and my style.

Who cares that the back hangs a bit weird? Who cares if the hem is a slightly odd length? Look at what I can makes now! Practice doesn’t make perfection but wow, it surely brings a whole lot of progress.