A Navy Midi Dress

Here\’s a dress from a pattern you may recognize–after all, it is Tried and True month here–or perhaps you will not! This 60s vintage pattern, Simplicity 4475, is the same pattern I used twice in July to make my seersucker dress and this eyelet dress for vintage pledge month!  I\’m always amazed by the difference fabric can have when making and remaking a favorite pattern. This time, I used a drapey and lightweight wool blend; it says 12% wool, 88% \”CV\” and I have no clue what CV is. Any ideas? All I could come up with was cotton voile… I love navy for a nice transitional late summer/early fall dress. Navy is a year-round color for me but I think it is especially appropriate at this time of year.

I went with a below-the-knee silhouette and I think it\’s nice with the drapey skirt. I do think that it can look a bit long with flats on, though, hence the wedges. I also feel like it just looks like my dress is too big! I generally like a knee-length skirt best… and maybe it\’s just that I follow a lot of vintage ladies on instagram but it seems like most people agree: for the #sewphotohop day \”mini or maxi\” my whole feed seemed to be saying \”in between!\”

A full skirt is so lovely to swish around in, and I\’m so happy to have found a pattern that I can grab whenever I have 3 or 4 yards of something nice just begging to be sewn up. At this point in my sewing, I\’m feeling good about my tried and true patterns; I have my faithful no-pattern-needed dirndl skirt, this easy to make raglan-sleeve bodice, a nice a-line shift, simple skinny pants, and a few more go-tos that haven\’t quite hit the blog yet… Soon though! How are you feeling about your collection of tried and true patterns? Is your whole closet full of duplicates? Still searching for repeat patterns? Or do you buy a new pattern for every project? I\’m so curious!

xoxo,