A Dress A Day

A dress.
Mostly every day.

March 03, 2007

Again with the Summer


Butterick 5248


I know, I know, there's still snow outside (at least there is in Chicago) and I'm jumping ahead again to the summer dresses. What is wrong with me? Can't I live in the now? Stay in the moment?

Well, no, not when the weather in the now sucks so badly. In general, too, I much prefer the future to the past, but vintage sewing gives me the best of both worlds. I can rummage around in the so-called dustbin of history for aesthetic flotsam like sewing patterns, and then wear them in front of my computer. I can't imagine that the makers of this pattern, for instance, ever even touched a computer. Maybe they never even saw a punch card! And yet the only way I could really find their work now is through one. It kind of gives you hope for all sorts of other things assumed to be ephemeral. Perhaps our work will live on in ways we never intended or imagined?

I love the brown version here -- I love brown for summer, especially brown and yellow -- although the border print is really cute, too. Although right now, with the snow and the cold and the having to wait yet one more week for Daylight Savings, I'd probably like anything that promised summer!

As you can see from the image, it's B32. Click on the image to visit the eBay auction ... I think this is at about $12 right now.

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18 Comments:

  • At Mar 3, 2007 9:15:00 AM, Blogger Gail said…

    I love that this is a quick and easy pattern--I just bet when you look at the collar and yoke. Threads magazines newest issue has an article on funnel neck-lines proving that in fashion all things do come back around!

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 9:46:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    All things summer (well most) can be winter too! Extend the sleeves to mid-forarm and make it out of wool crepe. That neckline is worth it.
    -Sarah

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 11:51:00 AM, Anonymous Susan said…

    Very pretty, and I agree with you - I'd rather think of summer coming, instead of this yucky Chicago weather!

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 2:27:00 PM, Blogger iopine said…

    The shape of that bodice is so great. I think it would fail on me (34A), because it seems to want a 36C to fill it out, regardless of that Bust size they post. I mean, really, 32? Does that mean the waist is 16"? crikey. It's a Barbie dress, and I LOVE it.

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 2:31:00 PM, Blogger Carrie said…

    I have never been the hugest fan of brown and yellow, but it's really grown on me lately. I always thought it was dated, but now 'the way things used to be' looks really good. I know, I'm getting old =) There's no clearer sign...

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 3:25:00 PM, Anonymous Marie-Chrisitne said…

    I'm totally with you on summer dress fantasies when it's howling outside... Besides, what if spring came and we had nothing to wear??

     
  • At Mar 3, 2007 7:18:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I love this pattern! Do you own this? If so, where'd you get it?

    Don't feel bad; you're not alone looking ahead to summer clothes. I've already picked up some summer fabrics and patterns, including a cool batik and the McCall's Duro pattern.

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 8:25:00 AM, Anonymous Becky O. said…

    "Besides, what if spring came and we had nothing to wear??"

    Oh, Marie-christine, I never thought of that! Sneaky Spring : )

    I love these dresses with full, swishy skirts. Great hips need lots of fabric to show themselves off.
    ~Becky

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 10:13:00 AM, Anonymous ambika said…

    THis is one of my absolute favorite necklines. And summer clothes are something I'm craving--even pulling the whole dress over jeans fashion foul just to feel a a little less wintry.

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 5:03:00 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    It's already getting warm here in SC. And I am sure Spring will come and I will have nothing to wear. I love that this is one of those wrap dresses. Those sleeves and that neckline would not work with my football player shoulders. Sigh. I bought the other wrap dress pattern from the Butterick Retro collection. I need to find/buy the fabric. I like chocolate brown with light pink or teal.

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 6:50:00 PM, Anonymous valentina said…

    Gasp. I cannot believe that you wrote Daylight Savings. Tsk, tsk.

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 7:45:00 PM, Blogger Erin said…

    Um, why the tsk-tsking?

    Daylight savings time is an acceptable variant, and some usage guides prefer it -- for instance, Brian Garner:


    daylight saving(s) time. Although the singular form daylight saving time is the original one, dating from the early 20th century—and is preferred by some usage critics—the plural form is now extremely common in AmE. E.g.: “When daylight savings time kicks in, a guard will be posted from 5 to 10 p.m.” (New Orleans Times-Picayune).

    The rise of daylight savings time appears to have resulted from the avoidance of a miscue: when saving is used, readers might puzzle momentarily over whether saving is a gerund (the saving of daylight) or a participle (the time for saving). Also, of course, we commonly speak of how to “save time” (of saving time), and this compounds the possible confusion. Using savings as the adjective—as in savings account or savings bond—makes perfect sense. More than that, it ought to be accepted as the better form.

    Regardless of whether you use the plural or the singular, you can prevent most miscues by hyphenating the phrasal adjective: daylight-savings time or daylight-saving time.

    from: "daylight saving(s) time" The Oxford Dictionary of American Usage and Style. Bryan A. Garner. Oxford University Press, 2000.

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 8:13:00 PM, Blogger LaLa said…

    Hey! LOVE Your site! So cute :) I thought you may be interested in mine as well:

    TRA LA LA

    If you want to do a link exchange, just let me know doll!

    - Lauren

     
  • At Mar 4, 2007 9:17:00 PM, Blogger Alison said…

    Rats! I have been outbid!

    Does anyone know of a pattern with a similar collar? I must have something like that for my wedding.

     
  • At Mar 5, 2007 4:42:00 AM, Blogger Kate said…

    Over jeans? Ye gods! I've lived too long! Why not enjoy the anticipation of summer? Plenty of time to work on the dress to perfect it. Whatever happened to pretty? Go for the hat too. K Q:-)

     
  • At Mar 5, 2007 7:36:00 AM, Anonymous Theresa said…

    Alison, if you don't rquire a full skirt..Erin posted a pattern with that neckline a while back. I think it was a Vogue pattern. (I think it was during Fashion Week) I know I've seen it. I'd look for it for you--but I am at work and they block the images on that site--why? I have no idea. www.voguepatterns.com/indexfv.html

     
  • At Mar 5, 2007 10:44:00 AM, Blogger Alison said…

    Theresa, is this the dress you are thinking of?

     
  • At Mar 6, 2007 5:08:00 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    Erin, do you think it is possible to add a small ca sleeve to this without ruining it?

     

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