New Project - Vintage Gown

I'm going to make a declaration. 2010 is starting out to be: The Year I Got My Favorite Vintage Patterns Out of My System. All of us vintage addicts have at least one or two or 20 patterns that we have to get out of our system, right? My recently finished red wool dress was one of them.

My new project is also one of them. However like a lot of these drop-dead gorgeous, vintage concoctions, it's not something you'd wear every day... or even once a year. It's a 50's formal gown in all of its opulent glory.

The good news is, I actually have occasion to wear a couple of formals this year. In the autumn, we are going on a cruise with two formal nights! Some people pooh-pooh formal evenings on cruise ships as being outdated or a chore. But oh no, not I. Not ever! It's an OPPORTUNITY to dress to the hilt and relish in the glamor of it all. There are so few occasions in which to dress formally that I will do my part to keep it alive.

So I'm going to make McCall's 3101 - in the full length version.
It's going to be in dupioni silk; I have about 10 or 12 in my stash, most with enough yardage, although I'm not quite sure which one I'll use. The one I'm currently favoring is embroidered, which means a nap layout....which means after it's all lined up to match the pattern, there may not be enough. I just pressed the pattern pieces and now have to lay them out to see if it will work. If not, I'll use a solid.

A little bit of this particular pattern's history: Original Owner only used the bodice pieces. All of the skirt pieces remain uncut. The poor bodice pieces were sliced in half, probably to lengthen, then taped back together with that horrible, old fashioned Scotch Tape which is now yellowed and brittle. I'll need to take great care with these pieces. They are fragile, but thankfully, still 100% there. I'll copy these and save with the pattern.

In the meantime, this is one of those projects that will be an adventure. It will turn out either: a) amazingly amazing, or b) an utter disaster that ends up a wadder. Feel free to take bets and stay tuned!