Hello, again! I am on a roll lately!! I’m back today to share with you my completed Vogue 1353, a great pleated fit-and-flare dress with a full lining by Kay Unger. I was inspired by Margo’s recent review of this pattern (isn’t she gorgeous?!?), and bought it next time Hancock’s had a sale and started sewing almost immediately.
The pattern is the perfect silhouette for an everyday, ladylike dress. And when you make it up in a washable fabric, it works well in your day job as a pediatrician. Where, yes, sometimes you do get peed on but thankfully not often — happened for the first time in ages this week just not to this dress :)-
I made this beauty up in a great poppy print stretch cotton sateen from Sawyer Brook Fabrics.
I lined it with a creamy yellow polyester pongee from Fabric Mart Fabrics that I think I paid $1/yd for… Cotton sateen is a dream to sew with after you’ve been doing nothing but knits and silks. It actually does what you ask it to!
I started with a straight size 14 then I made a few alterations:
- 3/4″ FBA
- lowered bust dart 5/8″
- lowered bust point of princess seam 5/8″
- lengthened bodice 1/2″
- took it in a smidgen in the princess seam above the bust
- added 1/4″ under the arm at the bust front and back tapering to nothing at the waist
- 1/2″ forward shoulder adjustment
- took it in 3/4″ on each side of the zipper tapering to nothing at the waist for a gaping back neckline
- reduced the width of the pleats because my fabric wasn’t 60″ wide
I strayed from the instructions only so far as to avoid hand sewing. I lined it completely by machine, including stitching the lining to the invisible zipper by machine with my invisible zip foot. I did hand sew the hook and eye in place as I couldn’t find any way around it. 🙂
My favorite part of the dress is the hem with its facing and topstitching. I used the chainstitch function on my Juki MO-735 5-thread serger to create the textured line of stitching instead of the handstitching that is prescribed in the pattern instructions. I stitched with the hem facing up so the “wrong” side of the stitching shows on the outside of the dress, creating a nice, visible line of thread. I love finding new uses for my serger!
The pattern calls for a purchased belt and here I’ve accessorized it with a cute little aqua leather belt with a silver buckle that I picked up at Gus Mayer department store in Birmingham. I think this is probably the only thing (at $38) that I could ever afford from that store but I do love it! I have also paired the dress with a bead necklace from Kluster Shop and some Franco Sarto strappy heel sandals.
This is my new favorite dress pattern and I think there will be another one soon. Stay tuned!
Susie Homemaker, MD 
That fabric! Gorgeous… and perfect colors for you. Lovely dress all around.
Thank you so much for your kind comment! 🙂
I love this dress. It fits beautifully. So glad you are at the machine again! Tell the girls at Sawyer Brook hello for me. They were in my ASG chapter!
Thanks, Dianne! Glad I “saw” you this week. I got an email saying the owner was retiring and they are looking for someone to buy the company 😦
Lovely dress! Fits you wonderful and I especially like the white line around the hem…it just add something special 🙂
Thank you, Carrie! The hem is definitely a favorite feature for me, too 🙂
Gorgeous fabric that makes a chic dress! I love making dresses that I can wear to work!
Thanks, Annie! I think putting on a dress for work gets me in a better mood in the mornings 🙂