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  • funkkatherine

The Joan Dress



I have had this lovely, soft blue fabric for years now, and the plan has been to create a Mad Men inspired dress the entire time. Sudden inspiration hit me last week, and I cut out 2 pencil skirt dresses and started putting them together. I love the shape and details of this dress, unfortunately it did not turn out exactly how I wanted it to.


Details include clay buttons, a navy center back zip, back vent for walking, and sweetheart neckline


The bodice is from a Gertie Butterick pattern that I have been desperate to try out since I got it. That pattern comes with a circle skirt, and since I didn't have enough fabric for that, I switched it out with a pencil skirt shape from a different Gertie pattern.





I cut out both in the same size, and the waist and skirt fit perfectly but the bodice was very large at the bust. I adjusted it during the sewing process, but I am still not thrilled with the fit or the slightly wonky finish at the neckline. Obviously this whole issue could have been avoided if I had just made a mock-up first, but since I am incredibly stubborn and very against mock-ups for quick dresses made for me, that did not happen...

At the moment, I am torn between trying to re-cut out the front panels (although this may not be an option, if I don't have enough fabric left over) and do it properly or just leave it and complain every time I wear it (this is an attractive option, and one that I have used in the past haha).




Despite the issues, I am so thrilled that I actually did full hair and makeup for this, for the first time since quarantine started. My hair has been too short to curl for quite a while now, so it was so much fun to do a full 1950's/60's inspired look for the photoshoot. It was also fun to go into Calgary again--all of my recent photos have been taken somewhere around Airdrie or the country.



~K

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