Blueberries 'n' cream

The dress has been done for about a week.  It hung waiting for its final pressing.  Couldn't seem to get around to it.  Had no real need to wear it.  This morning I decided that it deserved its first outing, so dress got pressed and worn to church.  No-one saw it, because I didn't take my coat off, but that's OK, because I knew what I was wearing.  After church seemed a good a time as any for taking some pictures, so here it is.

Front view

 

The pattern is Vogue 9945, which is from the late'90's, and now OOP.

 (Found this image at an Etsy shop called Restless Needle.)

The fabric has been hanging around since the '80's.  (Certainly time it got used.)  It came from the Lilly Ann outlet in San Francisco.  It's a wool plaid in navy and cream, even though for years I kept thinking of it as being black and cream.  (Goes to show you just how much attention I really pay to the fabrics that I have.)  I kept thinking of this as a jacket, but somehow that wasn't working for me.  Then I remember deciding that it was going to be a coat dress.  Even bought a pattern.  Obviously - didn't happen.  I love the fabric, don't get me wrong, but I think that the thought of matching all those tiny little navy blue lines kept putting me off.  Since I'm trying to slow down and enjoy the sewing process, it seemed that this fabric was a good choice for that.  Well, it certainly did take some patience.  First the cutting of every pattern piece twice over, since single layer was the only way to go.  Then the matching on 7 long seams, and then the sleeve-armhole matching.  Mid-sewing I had this panic attack that since the pattern was so old, the dress would look terribly out-of date.  Problem is, I made the sleeveless long version in black linen, years ago, but it lost its appeal after I wore it to my husband's funeral.  I surfed all over to assure myself that the style was classic enough that it would look OK.  To-day I wore it with just a malachite necklace, all hidden by my winter coat, but I can belt it, put scarves to it, etc. and change up the look.  Could even wear it with a jacket - guess that would mean acquiring a navy jacket.  (Yes, there's fabric in the stash for that.)

 

 According to the pattern, the zipper should be on the side.  From past experience I knew that this wouldn't work, so I moved it to the back, still leaving the opening with a button at the top of the back seam.  (I distinctly remember always getting stuck in the black dress, pulling on and pulling off, and someone would have to help to get me in or out.  These days there's no-one to come to the rescue - can't imagine running to the neighbours with a dress half on or off, so moving the zipper to the back seemed like the logical solution.)

 

I also fully lined the dress, slightly redesigned the facings because of this and added strap keepers, because with a bateau-type neckline those pesky straps always try to put in an appearance.  The lining fabric is also a Lilly Ann outlet buy from the same era as the wool.  It's polyester.  I had a RTW blouse in this fabric, and I didn't want another one like it so many decades later.

Now I have leftover plaid fabric - enough for a skirt.  As I was sewing, all sorts of ideas whirled around in my head.  Plaid skirt/navy military-style jacket.  Found some ideas for restyling a pattern that I have.  We'll see when that happens.  I need a rest from matching little navy lines.  I've "discovered" a grey skirt that I started last year.  The bugaboo that stopped the project was the decision to make bound buttonhole on the back vent.  Off it went into the UFO pile.  Now it's back in production.  Even found fabric for a blouse that will "make an outfit",  so that I don't have an orphan.  Even though the skirt is a wool, I guess I'm considering this already a "Spring" project.  At the rate the weather 's going around here, I'll be wearing wool for some time to come yet.  This morning my driveway was covered ankle-deep in the nasty white stuff, yet again.