##When I decided to learn to sew “for real,” this was the first project I picked to make. It’s dress #102 from the February 2007 issue of Burda minus the pleats in the skirt and the belt. The most important lesson that I learned from making this is that if I don’t attend a lot of events for which an elegant white sundress is appropriate, it doesn’t really make much sense to sew one :) This dress has hung in my closet unworn for the 5 months since i made it! Because the smallest size for this dress was 34 and I needed it in a 32, I learned how to size the pattern down and it was surprisingly easy- see my how-to on making a pattern larger or smaller to learn how to do it too.
ivory crinkled batiste, ivory light taffeta lining
Novice
Burda
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Mar 20, 2010, 05.23 PMby tallykay
very very cute!
Jan 26, 2009, 03.53 PMby justmica
Lovely…!!
Jan 2, 2008, 06.37 AMby hcbouma
I made the same dress in blue. It’s as pretty as yours but I didn’t wear it once! It was a lousy summer in Europe and I feel a bit overdressed (nice word, in this case) in it. I look as if I walked out of a Dior add in the fifties.
Sep 3, 2007, 08.52 AMby elainemay
Hi Jj- I posted it over the weekend— if you click on “How-To’s” at the top of the page, it should be there. Enjoy!
Sep 2, 2007, 09.30 PMby jj1
Big thanks for tips on vintage pattern. I have never worked on vintage patterns before… As for the how-to altering pattern, please post it since you have already made it. I would love to see it and I’am sure that it will be very useful for many sewers.
Sep 2, 2007, 05.35 AMby elainemay
Thanks for the compliments :) I guess the freezing Aachen summer also hasn’t been conducive to wearing this dress! LILO: I made a how-to on altering pattern sizes, but it sounds to me like you don’t need it :) JJ: Unfortunately I also don’t know how to resize a pattern if it’s not multisized. As for vintage patterns- be sure to go by the measurements on the envelope and not the numerical size. I wear a size 0 or 00 in commercial clothing, but in vintage patterns from the 50’s, I wear a size 12. In patterns from the early 60’s, I wear a size 10. Depending on what year your pattern is from, size 16 might actually be quite close to a modern 8-10. Good luck, and if you figure out how to resize a single-size pattern, let us know how to do it!
Aug 31, 2007, 02.03 PMby mirela
Very beautiful, simple and elegant at the same time. You do not need an event for this dress, every day should be a good enough reason to wear it! I love it!
Aug 31, 2007, 08.50 AMby nikkishell
This is fabulous! Very pretty.
Aug 31, 2007, 07.20 AMby jj1
I love it! I like the design around the bust area alot. I don’t have this issue as well. I will try to buy in Ebay. I’m between size 34-36 so it is easy for me to cut in the middle of the line but I hate 5/8" seam allowance so I measure and cut to get 1/2 s.a.
I have a size 16 shirtdress (vintage) pattern that I like to resize it down to 8-10 but I have no clue how to do it yet. I got the Thread magazine that show how it works, may be I will take a look.
Aug 31, 2007, 03.03 AMby lilo
This looks gorgious! Exquisite simplicity, classy ‘n feminine. Looks great on you, the colour of the dress looks great on your skin. I actually bought 2 nice fabrics to make this dress from, I also like it a lot, but I didn’t get there yet.
I will also have to up-size it for myself (46/48), as with many other patterns that i like; it’s not that difficult as you say, I’m looking forward to see your ‘how-to’ (i’m too busy/lazy to make one myself). In principle I draw a line through the corners of the multi-size pattern and go one ‘step’(=size) further (to get the corners right); then I make a line around size 44 (when 44 is the largest size) symmetric to size 42 (if I want to enlarge to size 46). (Is this understandable?) When enlarging to size 48 though (I can vary a lot, 44-48) I can run into trouble with the pattern getting too big in the length, so I add little in length and more on the sides.
Aug 30, 2007, 06.56 PMby emilykate
NICE! I love the neckline. I’d make it but I didn’t buy that issue, doh!