Simplicity Jiffy Dress

Last week I made this comfortable little summer dress out of a linen/rayon blend:

I used this Simplicity Jiffy pattern from 1966, and, yes, it was a jiffy to sew.  Refreshingly easy in fact.  I put on the link belt because the pattern model is wearing a hip belt and I wanted to see how one looked with it!  I wrote a little more about it on my blog.

Simplicity 8126 - The Hopscotch Skirt

Simplicity 8126

From the moment I saw Simplicity 8126 over at Out of the Ashes I was excited. More so than for any lovely poofy 50's silhouetted gown. Probably because I could see myself actually wearing this skirt, that it could fit into my life easily. I also like how young and "flirty" it looked. For some reason it really makes me think of hopscotch, bike riding or some other outside activity I did as a kid.

As a long-time crafter I'm also a big fan of functional pockets in clothes and I could see the denim version of the skirt as a great work-outfit for crafting. So that's why a denim version was the first one I made.

I found a great Lycra-infused denim at Jo-Anns on sale. I followed the instruction to the T except for the pockets. Using the pattern's layout, the pockets ended up being too effected by the stretch in the denim and stretched out of shape. Eventually I'll cut another set out and put them on the skirt.



I love this skirt, I love how it doesn't even look like a typical wrap skirt. The center pleat fools you into thinking it's a regular skirt while the gathered back almost completely camouflages the wrap portion. (Especially if this was made in a floral pattern) And, about the "wrap factor?" Very good! There is basically a double layer of skirt there in the back so there is no lack of coverage. Also in a fabric with heft like this denim the lower layer sort of serves as a petticoat. I think this skirt would be quite fetching in a silk shantung or taffeta. Affordable yet lovely skirts for bridesmaids, perhaps?

The only (small) problems I had was with the pattern itself. The pattern is just four pieces and the two main portions of the skirt are fashioned so that their seam is visible through the center pleat. I'm not a fan of that but yes, it's a small quibble.

I hope to make quite a few of these. I already have a gorgeous purple linen ready for making another one of these, so I think I will change the pattern accordingly. This was an easy sew, the only time-consuming detail was the hand sewing of the hem.

Retro Halter Dress - 1972 Simplicity pattern

I had the pleasure of spending time in my sewing studio with a beginner-level sewer this weekend - one of my nieces. Over the years she has spent weekends with me and we would do simple sewing projects together - mainly things like aprons, pillows or doll clothes.

Recently she had been expressing a desire to begin sewing again but this time she wanted to concentrate on cute summer clothes.

To help her get started again, I purchased a few Amy Butler cotton prints for her to use and let her choose her project from my vast pattern collection. She dug through my retro patterns and decided on Simplicity 9927 - a 1972 Jiffy pattern for a halter dress.

A few hours later she was busy showing off her fabulous new halter dress. You'd never know by looking at this dress that the design was more than 35 years old.

More photos on my blog.