Modes Royale Crepe Cocktal Dress

One bodice, many different looks.

It all started with this 1953 Modes Royal dress.

In 2008 I attend my very first doll convention "The Girls from Dream City".  I decided to make a dress for the auction.

I was thrilled to receive an Oona doll for making an outfit.

Ten years later, and I am finally getting around to making more dresses and the pattern.

Of course I couldn't stop at making just a white dress.

I love my new PS Zita!

The ladies look lovely together. 

I loved the bodice of this dress so much, that I make chiffon and tulle versions of it.

I used scraps of the sequined fabric from my last project.

This version is my favorite. 

I also used the leftover fabric and lace from the previous project to make these rose taffeta dresses.  Violet's dress has a full circle skirt, and Gene's dress has a half circle skirt.

I love this color on both of these dolls.

Just in time for summer, I used the bodice to make some adorable gingham sundresses.

Pattern Coming Soon!

1954 Chiffon Dress

I first made this dress way back in 2006 and I always intended on making it again so I could have a copy of my own.

My first attempt.

(Picture By John Peacock)

The inspiration for this dress came from a John Peacock fashion history book.  I am still looking for an actual picture of this dress by Dior.

I was inspired by a Vogue hat pattern to jazz up the pill box hat.

Of course, I didn't practice the restraint I had promised myself after my last big sewing project and ended up making almost 30 dresses.  The good news is I used up 7 different pieces of fabric from my fabric hoard, so there's that.

Now before you think that I'm totally off my rocker, the dress was relatively easy to make.

It's the hat that is nuts.  It is very labor intensive to make.  Luckily, not every dress has a hat (thank goodness!). 

I think the hat really makes the outfit special though.

So here in no particular order is the evidence of my OCD.  Warning!  Lots of pictures!

I was able to make three different versions of the dress out of an orange border print.

 I'm keeping this one for myself.

The embroidery on this fabric doesn't show up well in the pictures, but it is beautiful.

To purchase the pattern, click here.