Sometimes as a sewing enthusiast, you find the perfect pairing between fabric and sewing pattern. This is one of those times. Within my fabric stash, I have some fabrics that have had a pre-assigned sewing pattern to them and it’s really just a matter of time before I get around to sewing them. I’ve been so focused on projects both at my day job and for my channel that I haven’t really had time to sew something just for myself because it’s a combination I love and not a fully fleshed out project. I am trying really hard to take some time out for myself and sew things just for the joy of sewing so I made sure to finally bring an old project idea to life for no other reason than just to create a pretty garment.

Some of my favourite fabric patterns are anything floral and gingham, so when I came across a combination of both, it was love at first sight. I originally found my fabric from fabric.com (rip) and I think it’s an old Michael Miller design but unfortunately I no longer remember if that’s completely correct. The fabric features a simple black and white gingham base print but it’s adorned with small clustered of coloured flowers in shades of yellow, pink, blue and red. Although I couldn’t find anyone still selling this exact fabric, looking for similar black and white gingham with floral fabric was easy to do so with many variations so something similar is easy to find. Furthermore, on a recent rewatching of Mrs Maisel, I noticed that Midge wore a gingham and floral combination print in on of the episodes (the one where she goes to the art gallery on a date), so I will also be drawing inspiration from that idea too. I had 4 and a half yards of this pure cotton fabric which was more than enough for this project. Having this fabric sit in my stash for way too long, I am so glad to finally combine it with a particular pattern I’ve had in mind for ages.

The sewing pattern I absolutely had to pair with this fabric was Gertie’s Simplicity 9296 that came out a while ago and is still available readily. The pattern features a fitted bodice with separate darted cup pieces, a wide neckline, two sleeve variations and a decorative décolletage strap. There is a pointed midriff panel across the dresses middle section which is supposed to be very flattering. The dresses skirt is a full rectangle skirt and of course, pockets. The dress is not lined but instead has facing and the dress has a centred back zipper. For my version, I will be opting for the long sleeves, and my decorative décolletage strap will be adhered with a decorative faux button. I plan to sew the size 12 as despite my body size being better suited for the size 14, I know that the 12 will fit me better. I will also be making my own skirt pattern which will be 3 panels the width of the fabric and 27 inches long as I know this suits me better. Despite having this fabric and pattern combination solidly in my head, when I went to finally grab the pattern out of my stash, it turns out I had never owned it so a quick trip to Spotlight later, it was time to start sewing.

Sew, let’s get started. When cutting out my fabric pieces, I really paid close attention to the gingham pattern as I didn’t want it to look wonky or awkwardly placed. As this pattern has combined sleeve and bodice pieces, some of my pattern placement was a bit awkward and there was a fair amount of left over fabric so unless you have a plain print pattern, please keep in mind that you might loose a fair amount of fabric when trying to stay true to grainlines. As mentioned above, I cut out my own skirt pieces which were three panels the length of fabric and 27 inches long.

I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly this dress came together. The bust is made up of darts and once they are sewn together, the dress really starts to take shape. With the sleeves already attached, once the waistband was added, it was so close to being done that I honestly was shocked I hadn’t sewn this dress sooner. The only part of the bodice that made me really slow down and focus was making sure the point at the top of the midriff panel was well aligned with the centre seam of the bust cups. This was mainly done by sewing the midriff on in two separate seams and adjusting as I needed to. With my front bodice done, I added on the two back pieces which were also darted and I then moved onto the facing.

Once my facing pieces had interfacing added to them, I added them to my bodice so all the edges had a nice finish. On my next use of this pattern, I will make sure to add a thicker interfacing at least along the front strap as it would have just added some more structure. At this point, I left my bodice as is and moved onto the skirt as I knew I’d play around with button choices later.

My skirt was made up of three panels which I sewed together into one long rectangle. Before gathering, I made sure to add pockets which I did my marking out quarter points, cutting a slit into my fabric long enough for my pocket and then adding the pockets themselves. It was worth reinforcing the pocket corners as I do tend to carry heavy things that can break pockets overtime. With my pockets attached, I sewed the exposed cuts closed and used the dental floss method to gather my skirt. Attaching the skirt to the bodice was really simple especially with having my quarter points marked out and before I knew it, I was on the home stretch.

On the final homestretch, I completed the back seam of my dress leaving room for a zip and with my seams reinforced, I then turned my focus to the zip itself. I went for a normal zip which I attempted to hide behind a lapped zipper of sorts. I know that Gertie is a big fan of lapped zips as they are a great way to add a vintage flare but I’ve never been able to master her unique method of sewing one. For me, I just make a conscious placement of where my zip will go and I’m honestly ok with some of my zip showing. Sewing in zips isn’t the easiest thing but I know over time I will keep improving although for some reason I was better when I started sewing. The last thing I needed to do on my dress was finish off the hem which was a simple double rolled hem and then I could focus on the final detail which was my decorative button.

I don’t have the largest collection of buttons (but it’s slowly growing) so I had limited options but the ones I did have, still made it harder to choose. I had a basic button in both black and white but they felt a little safe and boring so I kept looking. My next options were not buttons per se but instead millinery flowers. These flowers are designed to be sewn on and attached via beads to millinery wear but I have used them in sewing projects before such as this one. I had a few of these millinery flower options but after consulting with friends, I chose the larger teal flower as I only had one of them and it really went well with the dress. To attach this flower, I attempted my first ever bead bind by finding a packet of silver beads (they were a freebie from a previous purchase that came in very handy) and after pulling my thread through the centre of the flower, I threaded a bead and pulled my needle back through the flowers centre and this held the flower in place. I made sure to sew the strap into place so it would sit perfectly when worn and I was really happy with how it came out. On my next attempt, I will try to get the flower to be a little tighter against the dress as there was a little wobble but for a first attempt it was fine.

This dress using Simplicity 9296 was a dream to sew and lovely to wear. I am so very happy with my combination of pattern and fabric and think this is such a fun dress to wear. The dress is quite loud and a stand out but when worn with a cardigan (it has been quite chilly lately), it does tone it down. I love the swish of the skirt when wearing this dress and I am still very much in love with the fabric print. I do have a fair amount of spare fabric left over so I think I might sew something a little simple with it next time but I’ll figure that out at a later date. The overall fit of this dress is really lovely and I find it very flattering. The main adjustment I wish I could make is the front strap should have been pulled over just a little bit more so it sits flush against the body. With the dress having pockets it is such a great thing to wear as I don’t have to carry everything and I can fit a fair amount of snacks into them.

Every time I have worn this dress I have had many compliments and I wish I had created this dress sooner. Sometimes I do wonder if this dress is a little too loud but I have had my anxiety peak recently so I think that might just be anxiety talking to be honest. Taking some time out to just sew something for myself and do a project I’ve had in my mind for such a long time was actually a lot of fun. Even whilst writing this reflection, the joy this project brought me makes me want to dive into my fabric stash and start another project I’ve been putting off for a while.

Simplicity 9296 is a great pattern for anyone looking for a unique vintage inspired bodice dress. With some slight alterations to the pattern, this dress can be made without the button strap being a strap and more of a bar, or it can be removed altogether but I honestly love the uniqueness of this pattern. I do plan on using this pattern again but I think I might try the short sleeve pattern and I’m tempted to add shorts to the bodice to make it a cute little playsuit but we will see when the time comes. This pattern can be tackled by beginners who are looking for a bit more of a challenge or any and all experienced sewing enthusiast. I will certainly be using this pattern again and I encourage anyone who has had their eye on it themselves.

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