Fall Sewing No. 1 – Lace Top Dress

Here is the first finished piece from my Fall Wardrobe. It's no coincidence that it is number 1 on my list. I actually finished this dress a couple of weeks ago. I love the print on this fabric. It's abstract and not at all fussy. The dark jewel tone colors and black lace make this a great dress for the Fall and Winter season.

I used Vogue V8414 but simplified it a bit so it was super easy to put together. I have used this dress pattern once before using a really slippery striped fabric and fabric covered buttons meaning it took a really long time to make. This time is was a breeze. I cut the front and back yokes from lace and the lower front and back from a printed sheer fabric. For the body of the dress I eliminated the darts and decreased the shaping a little so that I didn't have to put in a zipper. To create some shape I stitched a narrow piece of elastic to the waistline. To finished the neckline with a strip of bias fabric from the printed fabric. The rest of the edges were finished with a serger. It really doesn't get much easier than that.

One of my favorite things about of this dress is the buttons. I'm not sure where I got them, but I once bought some jars full of buttons from a thrift store so they were probably part of that purchase. The buttons are little gold barrels with writing on the ends. One side says "Seagrams" and the other side says "Ancient Bottle Gin". How cool is that? I've never seen branded buttons before. So, in honor of my buttons, I'm unofficially calling this dress the "Gin Rickey" dress after my favorite gin drink. If you haven't tried a Gin Rickey before I highly recommend it. It's like a gin and tonic but without the sweetness.


This dress is really comfortable to wear and I love the peek-a-boo lace on the top. Because of the sheerness of the fabric and because I did not put in a lining, it does require a slip. This dress is so easy to wear I think I'll really be able to get a lot of use out of it this Fall and Winter.

Related:
Vogue V8414 Sailor Dress

Fall Wardrobe Moodboard

Fall Wardrobe Sewing Plans

Fall Wardrobe Posts

Pretty Clothes on Pinterest

Falling into Autumn on Pinterest

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