My Summer Dresses....Part One

What an industrious summer I have spent, mostly in front of the sewing machine and under the airconditioner !! I have created so many beautiful garments from vintage patterns this past summer season that I simply had to share them with you all......

I know it is a little too late for any southern hemisphere inspiration as we head into our cooler months, but for all my northern hemisphere friends, perhaps my little creations might spark your creative juices for the coming season......

This summer I have had a real thing for 1950's style sundresses teamed with cardigans and wedges, and there is usually a rope of beads and a flower in my hair for that little extra flourish....

One balmy late summer evening I was blessed to leave my poppets in the care of their daddy while I hied myself down to the local bushland reserve, 100 year old manniquin in tow, for a little photo shoot....and here are the results.....sufice to say I am somewhat chuffed at how they came up - dresses and manniquin looking an absaloute treat ! I hope you all enjoy browsing as much as I did creating !!

I love this material - a wonderful fresh cotton with a beautiful rose print on a white background...I love it so much that I actually made up two different dresses from it !! The second one will feature in part two....This dress has a 1950's pattern strait skirt attached to a midrif and gathered bodice from a modern dress pattern - I so enjoy being able to make my own creations combining bits and peices from the styles I love.....

This little number is so candy cute ! Once again it is a gathered bodice with plain midriff and a 1950's pleated skirt in green, pink and blue candy stripe cotton - looks a treat comined with pink cardigan and accessories !

I had a bit of trouble photographing this one as the chocolate brown pattern seemed to get lost in the forrest ! However, this material was really special as I picked it up from an Op Shop in Boort (Northern Victoria) for about $3 - it is genuine 1960's fabric with a stiple (raised) effect all over it and looks just great with black accessories. It's made from, once again, a 1950's pleated skirt pattern ( I find pleats, strait or circle skirts the most flattering  - gathered skirts always add extra unwanted bulk unless the fabric is extreemly sheer!) and a modern plain midrif and plain scoop neck bodice.

This is one of my favourite dresses, mainly for the material pattern - roses and stripes on a grey blue background. I tend to gravitate to quilting cottons when making vintage inspired sundresses, as the prints I find there most accuratly represent the dresses I have seen in movies and magazines from the era's I love. When I can, I do enjoy using genuine vintage material, but good reams of this can be hard to come by out here in the country! This dress is actually one of my own designs - the straps sit on the shoulder, and the line is smooth and flows well - it looked really fantastic when my hair was brunette, but doesnt quite work AS well now that I am blonde - I still love it though !

And how cute is this little number - silly me - I didnt take a picture of the dress without the apron !! This one really is my ultimate 1950's housewife dress - pretty light summer gingham in my favourite colour with a huge ginham ruffle around the bottom of the A line skirt and a fairly plain top.....cant you just picture yourself baking a cake in this one ??

This conclueds part one of my summer dress creations - and I must say my photography (knowing just how to pose my model for best effect) will also improve in Part Two which I will post next week......till then, be inspired to dust off your sewing machines !! XX