Can I start by saying I’m loving the new Sew Retro vintage sewing patterns board over at Pinterest?!
Without it, this dress would never have existed… 
You see, I recently was cruising around on Pinterest & found this pattern on the Sew Retro board;
And I thought that dress would be perfect to make & wear to a friend’s wedding. So that’s what I decided to do. It was all a bit last minute, but it worked out in the end.
Unfortunately I didn’t have a copy of Vogue 9061 on hand. But it wasn’t to hard to modify the pattern for a simple shift dress (I used Vogue V8146) & turn it into this pattern. I posted some basic instructions for how I did this on my blog, Orchids in May.
The fabric I used was from my husband’s late grandmother’s fabric collection. It’s a Thai silk that I think she brought back from Thailand many many years ago. Despite the age, the colour of the fabric is brilliant – the photos don’t do it justice. I don’t know if it was the age of the fabric but it was really fragile & a little tricky to sew with. I ended up using a Hong Kong finish on all of the seams because I was petrified of it just unravelling before my eyes.
I’m really happy with how this dress turned out. I’m still thinking of making some changes to the bow at the back – at the moment it looks a little limp, but otherwise I’m pretty happy.
This post was written by...
orchidsinmay – who has written 9 posts on WeSewRetro.com.
Hi! My name is Steph, during the day I'm a mechanical engineer, but one of my favourite hobbies is sewing. I've been sewing for about 6 or so years now & I spend most of my spare time sewing. The things I enjoy making the most are probably the most frivolous things, pretty dresses & evening gowns, but there are some practical things that I enjoy making, like tailored jackets. Lately I've really been enjoying learning about vintage techniques & couture techniques, & applying them in what I make. I also keep a blog, you can find it here: orchidsinmay.com
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
I absolutely love this – the colors just ZING! So cool to see something inspired by our pinterest board
This is pretty AMAZING! The colors are so vibrant!
Bows of this era are almost never actually bows, they’re really highly constructed elements that LOOK like bows. Usually the “knot” is a separate rectangle wrapped around the middle of a long interfaced loop, pinching it in to give it a bow look. It’s this sort of idea, except ’60s bows usually have soft pleats rather than gathering at the middle because of the heavy interfacing:
http://www.madalynne.com/how-to-make-fake-bow
Beautiful fabric! The dress turned out amazing.
I LOVE your dress! And Katherine’s right; it is really great to see what the Pinterest board inspires
So clever of you to adapt another pattern, too
Such a bright and happy outfit
Wow! Gorgeous pattern, gorgeous fabric, gorgeous dress. And might I add, you have a lovely figure, and that dress really looks great on you. Good luck with the bow. You’ll figure it out.
That fabric is incredible!
Amazing Dress! So glad you found the Pintrest Board!