Turquoise Ribbon

I found this wonderful quilting cotton at JoAnn Fabrics about a year ago.  For some reason I cannot recall, I was up north, and went to the Rohnert Park location instead of San Rafael.  And boy, oh, boy, is it more organized up north!  If it was more convenient, I would certainly be going to that location every time I needed something from JoAnn Fabrics.  But that's a story for another day . . .

I couldn't resist the quirky illustrations on this cotton, and I purchased it, along with a few other vintage themed novelty prints.  When Vogue released their latest vintage reproduction, I was looking for a four yard length of fabric in my stash, and I came upon the print, which seemed to me to be a perfect pairing.

The pattern gives the option of using a length of ribbon or self-fabric to feed through a casing on the front and back bodice which creates straps and a dramatic fall at center back.

And guess what I found in my ribbon stash?!? - the perfect turquoise grosgrain ribbon; and I even had more than the four yards necessary.  Looking at the pattern illustration on the right, I think I was a bit influenced by the artwork!

I decided that I would try using the grosgrain as a pseudo-piping for the waistband.  I was a bit concerned that the poly grosgrain might be difficult to work with, but it didn't fight me as much as expected, and the extra effort was certainly worth it!

My other addition to the design was a waist stay.  This pattern has a whole bunch of extra fabric in the bodice and the skirt.  The one area that is close-fitting is the waist, and I thought it would be nice to have some extra stability at that point.  Really, the only measurement you should worry about is the waist circumference when choosing your size for this dress.

I found a roll of ecru colored petersham at an estate sale a couple of years back, and I thought the color worked nicely with my zipper choice and the interior shade of the fabric.

And I am sure you spy my bound seams.  I don't have the heart not to use my rayon seam binding in some manner on any given project!

But you might think, the dress doesn't look exactly like the stylized drawings on the pattern envelope.  It needs an assist.  So I brought this petticoat out of retirement.  She was slightly too long as she was made for this dress, so I hand tacked the lower layers of netting up.

And as you can see, the silhouette is completely changed by the addition.

That's a lot of extra fluff, and I love it!

And yes, I have already worn her out of the house, petticoat included.  It's the most "me" I have felt in months, which is definitely a good thing.