vintage may guest: girl.inspired.

my guest today is stef from girl.inspired. stef and i were on season three of project run & play together, and while our styles were quite different during the competition, we had very similar experiences and really bonded via email once it was all over. stef sews classic, feminine, lovely clothes for her three beautiful daughters, and i know my Em would adore wearing every single one of her creations! she sells a selection of frocks in her etsy shop, and oh did i mention this lady can throw one heckuva party?

today stef is sharing a sweet dress that feels vintage but is actually made with modern fabrics and a modern pattern!

Isn’t Vintage May such a lovely idea for a sewing series? I’m so excited to be included! I do love some vintage goodness – furniture, dishes, housewares, sewing notions, clothing – I love to get lost in the stories of old items, imagining how these “vintage” items might have played a role in someone else’s life. History makes everything so much more interesting and fun! Children’s clothing from years past, in particular, conjures up images of innocence, attention to detail, simple embellishments, carefree play…it’s different in so many ways from today’s clothes. It was hard for me to choose a direction for a vintage-inspired outfit – so many fun options to try!!

In the end, I created a sweet little dress with tucks, pretty piping, and embroidery details. The fabric for the dress is Pink Mini Rose from the Annie’s Farm Stand line by designer Holly Holderman for Lakehouse Dry Goods. Love this fabric! The dress is cut in an A-line shape with cute little tucks across the bodice. I used a new pattern – Butterick B4176 for this main part of the dress.

But a vintage dress HAS to have a collar, right? So, I added a crisp, white collar and embellished it with handmade piping. A little satin bow finished it off.

In the back, truth be told, I ran out of fabric, and had to get creative.

I actually love how the dress came out with the pieced white panels on each side of the center. Rather than a zipper, I closed the dress with these great pink, vintage buttons all the way down the back. And then I couldn’t resist throwing some embroidery on there, too.

With so many “pretty” details, I decided to leave the dress sleeveless, with simple hemmed armholes. Cute, puffy sleeves would definitely fit the vintage bill, but I think that by omitting them, I’ve created a lovely dress that is vintage-inspired, while still remaining current.

Pretty, playful, and sweet.

This was such a fun and unique challenge. Thanks for having me over, Kristin! Come visit me at girl. Inspired. for more sewing and crafting inspiration!!

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thanks so much, stef! what a pretty dress, and still so wearable and comfy for a little gal to play in!

today jess has simple simon providing great tips on sewing with vintage patterns. head on over to learn more!