This little number was a long time in the making. The pleated shoulder parts of the bodice were quite tricky to put together from the instructions given in the pattern - I did do a trial version in calico and managed to get things working, but it took a lot of unpicking and re-sewing.
Also I didn't buy enough gingham fabric to make sleeves so my first attempt was a sleeveless version which frankly just looked unfinished. After mulling this over and with a dance event to attend the next day, I improvised cute little capped sleeves in what fabric I did have left, but this left me looking like some sort of space cadet - the effect wasn't working! I folded the thing up and placed it on the WIP pile where it languished for a few months. I wore something else to the dance event..
The unfinished dress kept calling to me so I eventually bought more gingham fabric and put the sleeves in, along with some pretty hefty shoulder pads as suggested in the pattern - it all came together quite nicely in the end. The button embellishments were spares I had from an old M&S jacket from the stash.
The skirt does have a lovely swing to it and I took the frock out on its inaugural dance outing to see the Puppini Sisters in an open air concert during the summer - divine!
The skirt does have a lovely swing to it and I took the frock out on its inaugural dance outing to see the Puppini Sisters in an open air concert during the summer - divine!
