Edelweiss Patterns Every year, I set aside time to sew a new vintage dress for Easter Sunday. This year, it’s a 1950s Easter dress which I decided to film! I’m so glad I documented the process, because it threw me an unexpected curveball two days before I planned to wear it. To be completely honest, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to rework it in time, and was looking through my closet for alternate options to wear if this one didn’t work out. But with a lot of determination and a couple late nights of sewing, the dress was completed and more beautiful than I’d hoped.
While the majority of the dress details can be viewed in the video below at the end of this post, I’m adding some photos from the sewing process that were just too pretty not to share.
This spring dress was made using 1950s Advance Pattern #8349 which has a fitted cummerbund, a shirt dress style upper bodice, and a full, gathered skirt. The 1950s designers knew how to make flattering and waist cinching dresses in a way that we just don’t see on the racks today.
The balloon sleeves were so dreamy and reminded me of the sleeves from our Liesl’s Dancing Dress pattern. (I ended up cutting the sleeves closer to our LDD pattern because the Advance pattern wasn’t as full as I wanted, and had a seam straight down the middle of the sleeve that would have cut up that beautiful white-on-white embroidery.)
Naturally, as the fabric I selected was so sheer, I created a foundation bodice to line the dress using the sweetheart necked lining pattern pieces from our 1950s Sisters Dress pattern. The end result reminds me so much of the white dress Rosemary Clooney wore in the final song of the film The Stars are Singing. (There’s a picture of the dress I’m referring to at the end of this blog post.)
The fabric itself was so dainty and had such detailed embroidery that it felt reminiscent of an Edwardian blouse you’d see in a period drama. People tend to think of the 1950s as being all poodle skirts and polka dots, but the truth is that 1950s fashion magazines also showcase elegant dresses made with floral prints, eyelet, and yes, embroidery! I was able to match the wide lines of the embroidery pattern in the upper bodice, midriff, and pleated skirt, which was no small feat once I remade the skirt!
Without further ado, I’ll let you watch the video below which may give you the vintage sewing bug if you don’t have it already. There’s nothing like finishing a gorgeous dress that you made with your own hands. It is such a satisfying feeling.
Sewing your own clothing (especially from antique patterns) means that occasionally you’ll hit a bump in the road where something doesn’t fit or look exactly as you’d envisioned. But with good old-fashioned determination to achieve the look you have in mind, you can arrive at a garment that was well worth the effort! I know this dress will last me for many years to come, because the dresses I crafted 10-15 years ago are still going strong!
(Thank you to my husband for kindly taking the photos for me this year! When you marry a sewing blogger, you automatically inherit the title of Occasional Photographer.)
Happy Sewing!
Katrina Holte
