Birds of a Feather

Sometimes a simple project is just what you need - and this dress definitely qualifies.

Of course it helps when you love the print you are working with (there are moments when simple becomes downright boring).  And I did want to match up the print as much as possible, so the cutting and sewing did require a bit of thought.

But this project was basically a breeze from start to finish.  The most irritating thing was gathering the skirt - not my favorite thing to do, but hardly something worth complaining about, right?!

Because I did not want those birds looking catawampus on the waist ties, I had to cut them on the crossgrain.  For this particular fabric, there was quite a bit of give on the crossgrain, which was going to be an issue.  Also, the pattern is drafted as a single layer, and the reverse of this print does not look great.  To solve both problems, I cut a duplicate layer of each tie on the grainline, and stitched the pair right sides together, trimmed, and pulled them right sides out before securing them in the side seams of the bodice.

This dress has turned out to be a real favorite.  The silhouette is so easy to wear, I think I may have to make myself another at some point.  I really love the striped version on the pattern envelope, so I will definitely keep my eyes open for a suitable striped fabric option.

Dress:  Made by me, Butterick 6318

Shoes:  Remix Vintage “Babydoll”