This dress is one of the first dresses I ever made from a vintage pattern (the exact pattern is lost to memory). I posted about it a few years back and it was old even then — and I know it’s older than my son, which puts it firmly in the grunge era.

I do really like the collar and the lines of the bodice. I remember clearly that this was a newspaper pattern … Anne Adams or Marian Martin or some such:

Covered buttons — this is before I knew the trick of using white fabric (batiste or organza) underneath the patterned fabric if you don’t want the metal of the button form to show through:

Bias trim on the sleeves:

The back view:

And a closeup view of the back … the only thing I can say is WTH? Where did those seams go? If I weren’t a life-long teetotaler, I would assume that I was drunk when I made this:

And the belt-kit belt, which hasn’t aged well at all:

I should really find the pattern in my stash and make it up again today, and show the two dresses side by side … just so people can see that, just as with everything else, sewing gets better with practice!