almost..... but not quite

Wow, thanks for the response to my last post everyone! 

It's great to see so much enthusiasm for vintage patterns.

Simlicity 5017

Simplicity 5017 was definately the favourite,

followed by Vogue 5782.

Vogue 5782

I am having such a hard time deciding which pattern to make that I've decided to make them both.

I made a trip to Spotlight to peruse the fabrics and came home with this lot.

 

Getting side tracked as I do, I fell in love with this beautiful Liberty print rip off. It's a cotton voile named Ashley in Khaki.  It is actually the softest shade of grey and I absolutely adore it.  I spent a couple of hours on Saturday making the Simplicity 3835 view C (the blouse).  I put it on as soon as it came off the machine and promptly wore it for the next two days! 

I'll take some pictures and post a bit more about this when the weather fines up here in Sydney. 

Tommorrow is the first day of Summer but you surely wouldn't know it. 

I bought this cotton voile called paint by numbers in wild green, with Simplicity 5017 in mind. 

But I just. don't. know. 

I want to make something I can wear again and again, but I don't want to be too casual either.  I think with the right set of heels and accessories I should be right.

And even though the Simplicity 4116 didn't get any votes, I decided to make that one too.  Mostly because I once saw a woman on TV wearing a similar dress made from black broderie anglaise and I fell in love...........

but also because I thought a new (as opposed to vintage) pattern would be more simple to make and I could ease myself into the dress making experience. 

Boy was I wrong! 

Luckily I decided to make a toile first - thanks for the suggestion little betty. 

First off I found mistakes in the instructions straight away, then, after taking my body measurements, remeasuring and measuring once more just to make sure, I cut out a size 10. 

I didn't expect it to fit like a glove first off but nor did I expect it to hang off me like a potato sack! 

To say I was feeling a little discouraged by this stage is an understatement.

 

So after spending an hour or so last night pinning, moving darts, lifting the waist line, dressing and undressing numerous times I decided I'd be better off starting again this time cutting a size 8.

And did I mention that this was a printable pattern, which I spent several hours taping together on Saturday night - thank God I've got all of Mad Men Season 3 to get through.......... 

And as for the Vogue 5782,  well I just cannot decide what fabric to use for this one.  I truly swoon each time I look at this pattern.  I think something special is called for for this dress. 
A trip to Tessuti perhaps?