Vintage Sewalong 2011 – what I’m making!

Remember a couple of posts back I was trying to decide what to sew for the Vintage Sewalong 2011?  Well I’ve finally decided – it’s the ‘safe’ option, and also the Quick n’ Easy option!  Here it is again – Butterick 2669 – the basic sixties shift dress:

I’m going to make it in some dark grey linen that I acquired at Christmastime, and do red topstitching just like the picture of View B on the pattern envelope.  I presumed the topstitching was done by machine, but it is actually hand sewn saddle stitch using embroidery floss, so I might copy that idea too.

I chose this pattern because:

• Both the pattern and fabric are stash so I don’t have to spend a cent!
• I really need more summer work clothes and this will be perfect
• I’ve always wanted to see how a french dart that goes down to high hip level fits
• It gives me the perfect excuse to buy some red shoes (the real reason he he!)

But now I’ve made my decision, I have a little predicament:

I could shorten the dress, but I don’t like showing my knobbly knees. So a little creative thinking was required, and ding-ding-ding:

And I think I prefer this anyway.  Although I like the simplicity of the original, I think the extra saddle stitching adds a bit of balance.  I’m not generally a fan of placing design details only on the front and leaving the back plain – it often looks like cost-cutting and design compromise to me.

I want this dress to be hand-washable, so I’ve put the linen through the washing machine on a warm machine wash to take care of any shrinkage.  First I overlocked the ends of the linen, because we all know how much that frays, and I need more fabric not less!  Because linen can stretch slightly and ‘seat’, I am going to line the dress with viscose lining, also preshrunk.

OK – now I’m off to cut my toile and whizz it up on the machine!

And if you haven’t joined up for the Vintage Sewalong 2011 yet, it’s not too late:


Just click here!