2020 Easter Dress

When I was a child, the spring Easter Holiday always called for a new dress and shoes for church.  Many years, my mother sewed matching dresses for my sister and I.  Poor sis, she got to wear both her dress and then my hand me down dress.   Since I finished my most recent project, a dress, just before the holiday, I am calling it my 2020 Easter Dress.

It was made in response to the Instagram #yellowdresschallenge, a call to sew up and post a finished dress from Vogue pattern 1671 to be eligible for  prizes from Fabric Mart and The McCall Pattern Company. Though inspired by the yellow dress on the front of the pattern envelope, the fabric did not have to be yellow  or purchased from Fabric Mart to be considered.  

By coincidence the fabric I picked from deep in my stash had a Fabric Mart label.  It was 2 yards of silk corded Olive Turquoise print purchased way back in  May 2005.  The trim fabric was 5/8 yard of what I think was a rayon metallic blend. 

After cutting out the garment pieces, the fabric felt too light for the fitted, darted  bodice, so I underlined it with the Sheermist batiste   I really like this fabric for underlining. I get it from Hobby Lobby, either in store or online. The store carries more colors(like red). The dress is also lined in Bemberg Rayon.  For an "easy" rated pattern, this dress requires a lot of work.

I started the dress back in March. It got set aside when I was asked to make masks and surgery caps by FDIL #2. She works at a local hospital and often must take X-rays of patients with confirmed Covid 19 virus. She wear SCBA (self contained breathing apparatus), not home made masks, when she does this.   We are all very proud of her, but also concerned for her mental and physical well-being. 

It has been so long since I wore a dress with a long flared skirt silhouette. The body of the shantung fabric causes the  skirt to  maintains it shape really well. Very twirl worthy. I wish I could wear it to a party or special evening out,  but as we all know, not at this time.  I could wear it for our in-house Easter dinner, putting it on after I  finishing the cooking.  But I would feel like the impeccably dressed mom characters in the old TV shows  Leave it to Beaver or Father Knows Best. And getting my DH to dress up might be tough.

So for now, I will wear it to prance around the back yard, in windy, 55F, weather to take pictures. The neighbors are highly amused.

Keeping the hair and pollen  out of my eyes