Frankenpattern...............Good!

When last we left Summertime, I was going to frankenpattern a blouse from a dress. Instead I thought I'd make a dress from many dresses. Why do it the easy way. Actually, this is just as easy as using all the same pattern pieces and more fun. Have a look at

the finalists.

Vogue pattern at the bottom was used as the bodice with a little extension to make it waist length.

Bodice from one pattern, skirt from another and sleeve from the third. Don't let different seam allowances scare you. The truth is the openings need to match, so a 30" bodice opening needs a skirt that's 30'' at the top. No one will measure your seem allowances unless you are in home-EC. Believe me, I've been doing this since I learned to sew. I make a pattern as shown only half the the time, the rest I improvise. That's why we ALL need a lot of patterns. Yeah.

This bodice ends  mid-rib, I just extended it to make it waist length.

 

 

I wanted to take some of the fullness out of the sleeve top, not wanting it so puff-tastic. Probably not the way I was taught but it works.  This won't work if you need a sleeve with no ease at the top, but this fits with slight gathers, who's to know. They sold assorted sleeve patterns in the 30's so you could mix and match. Just as they sold patterns for collars, dickeys etc.

Skirt was pretty straight forward, it just has to match the bodice opening.

Presto!

It's alive!

And a bit of whimsy.

Now I need a hat, I have a few but also have a really cute 30's pattern, so we'll see. I'll be wearing this to the Gatsby Summer Afternoon at the Dunsmuir Estate in Oakland this September. I'm splitting the difference and calling it late 1930's, in case you wondered.
Hope to see you there!

Ever Your Thimble Servant,
Miss Brilliantine