Frock in a Jiffy

I was going to make another Heidi today, but as we head into winter next week, I fancied making something I can wear in the next two or three months!

I found some wool interlock (I think) in the stash, and used Simplicity 4429. I wanted more of a cap sleeve, so I added a few centimetres at the shoulders, and added a little depth to the underarm.

It really, really needs to be belted though. It's basically a slim sack. Not pretty. But pretty with a belt, yay! I love this frock!

It is a great background for brooches. I've been going a bit mad for vintage brooches on ebay
lately; in fact I bought two just last night, inspired by Tom and Lorenzo's Joan Holloway post. If you haven't yet discovered their Mad Style posts, you are in for a treat.

Heidi Ho

I have some vintage fabric and I couldn't decide on a pattern for it. I think it's rayon, it's got that crispy acetate hand, and it's quite thin. I pulled out all my vintage patterns, but I had a feeling I could easily end up in the 'matronly' arena with this particular print.

I took out my modern patterns, but turns out my tastes run more to the vintagey looks in modern patterns too.

So I downloaded Burda 6016, the very popular Heidi dress. There are some sweet frocks on those links.

I haven't done a download-and-tape-together-pattern before. It's not difficult, but it is time consuming. It took me over an hour to fold and tape. Then I traced the 36, which was closest to my measurements. I haven't made many Burda patterns, and I'd heard they have less ease than other commercial patterns. I knew I had to make a muslin before cutting into the 'good' fabric.

I'm glad I traced, because I will need to trace the smaller bodice next time.

I used the rest of the 70s sheet I used to underline the silk shift and because I will be lining the vintage fabric version, I also fully lined it, in white calico, for a practise run. I didn't follow the instructions to the letter for the lining, because they instruct you to handsew the lining to the zipper tape. Ha! No chance! I put the skirt lining in before doing the zip, basted the outer fabric and lining together at the side opening, and then put the zip in. In the right side of the dress as it happens; I got my left and rights mixed up. It's an invisible zip so it doesn't matter.

Why are side zips always on the left anyway, anybody know?

Here she is, with the hem very roughly pinned up. I haven't decided on the length yet. I want to ruminate on it.

Here she is with a belt. Looks better with a belt. I didn't make the belt which came with the pattern, it would have got lost in this print anyway. And, it's a muslin. Too much effort, way too much laziness.

Love those pockets!

It does look like it fits in the photos, but the bodice is too big. It's fine when I stand still with my shoulders back, but if I move the shoulders slip down and the neckline billows out like a spinnaker. Maybe I should do some pintucks, like this one.

This is the fabric I want to use, maybe with a matching cummerbund, for extra fanciness. What do you think?