simplicity 3749

Can we say Mad Men? (A show I still haven't seen even though I love vintage clothes and worked in marketing. tsk tsk)

I am in love with this dress. It was the first time I have ever graded or resized a pattern and it went really smoothly. The dress was originally an 18, which has a 38 inch bust. I wear a 34 inch bust or about a 12, so some serious down-sizing was needed.  I used this helpful tutorial and got great results!!

I chose a simple cotton in a coral color. Basic quilters cotton, especially solids, are affordable, easy to work with and drape nicely.

To get started, I needed to trace the original pattern. I also do this when a pattern hasn't been previously cut, so I can preserve the original pattern.

Then, I needed to resize it. You can see I had to shorten the waist by almost an inch.

The results were a great fit and a dress I have worn 3 times already. Check out the cute brooch I got at Treasure House for $2.99!!!