Dress Up Time

I have been meaning to make Butterick 6410 for years.  The copyright on the re-issue is 1999, and I imagine I purchased it soon thereafter.  Every time I have an event, I pull this pattern out and wonder when the heck I am going to try it out.  

A Symphony fundraiser last week was the perfect opportunity to get started.  I did not have a whole lot of time, but there are not very many pieces to deal with and the construction did not look terribly difficult.  After admiring the illustration, for instance, I assumed that the skirt would be cut on the bias – I was wrong.  Which means that this pattern did not require the massive amount of yardage I was expecting.  Whoo-hoo!

I purchased a bunch of rayon jacquard in different prints from fabric.com ages ago for an incredible deal.  Over the past couple of years it has come in handy.  This dress is one of my favorites (and I actually wore it to work today) and I recently made another in the second print/color.

There is quite a bit leftover in this red, so back in the drawer it will go until the perfect pattern comes to mind.

The pattern comes with its own jacket, which is always handy.  I actually made a version years ago - it matches nothing in my closet, so it was probably worn once or twice at the most and is keeping company with other abandoned articles of clothing.

Since I was going to be out at night, I thought it would be a good idea to make the jacket if a suitable fabric was easy to find.  What I came up with was a length of velvet.  And the jacquard pattern in the rayon almost matches the velvet perfectly!

The bolero in black velvet made me think of vintage Balenciaga and Schiaparelli, which in turn reminded me of the ball fringe that I came across last time I walked through JoAnn Fabrics.  No, my fringe is not made of silk, and not nearly as stunning, but I do love the look!

While the exact fiber content is long forgotten, this velvet must have a significant bit of rayon because a quick steam and the seam allowances flattened right out.

And there happened to be a bunch of fake flowers in my sewing room that match back perfectly – a quick snip with a pair of wire clippers, and I had the perfect accessory.

This is one of my favorite pictures because if you look very closely, you will notice a photo-bombing quail in the upper corner with his cute little topknot.  There are usually a ton of busy bees buzzing about, but since the flowers are missing from the hedge at the moment, they are on hiatus.  Instead, I have a friendly little bird looking over my shoulder.

But back to the pattern!  I love the two-tone look of the illustration, and think that I love this design enough to try another version at some point.  The skirt would look lovely in a deep burgundy silk velvet with a ivory silk bodice . . . or something like that!

Dress & Jacket:  Made by me, Butterick 6410

Earrings:  Judith Jack

Shoes:  Nine West

Clutch:  Banana Republic