1940 Apple Green Gauze Sundress

I’m finally getting around to taking some photos of my latest creations.  Here’s one down and only four more (at the moment….) to go!

Apple green cotton gauze 1940 sundress

My husband and I were actually heading to the quinceanara of one of his former students when we took these photos.  It was very hot that day and we were going down to the even hotter valley, so this was a perfect dress to wear on such an occasion and as I knew that they don’t dress up much, I could leave more formal dresses in my closet.

Apple green gauze 1940 sundress

This dress is made of an apple green cotton gauze from Fabric Mart that I lined with cotton batiste.  I used Vogue 8812, which I had made previously out of a red polka dot cotton broadcloth.  I made a few changes to the pattern, which included omitting the back button closure and putting a zipper in instead.  I also shortened the skirt length, widened the straps and elongated the bra on the bodice.  This pattern is very low cut (although it doesn’t appear so in the Vogue photos), and I prefer not to wear it as low-cut as the pattern was made.

Apple green gauze 1940 sundress

The bodice is also lined and underlined as gauze is pretty sheer.  I had never made a dress out of cotton gauze (only a swimsuit cover up previously) and it shrunk a little…. just enough to show my batiste lining underneath.  So this dress is a little shorter than I intended as I had to shorten the skirt lining after the gauze shrunk.  I wash all of my dresses in cold water and hang them up to dry, so I can imagine what it would have done had it been in the dryer!  So, word of caution:  prewash gauze!  Actually, you are supposed to prewash most of your fabrics before sewing, but I am lazy sometimes………

Apple green gauze 1940 sundress

Overall, I’m happy how this dress turned out and even more happy to have another green dress! 🙂

Also, I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our pack, Rollie!

Rollie and I

We rescued Rollie in April and he is now officially ours.  He was a bit emaciated when my husband found him wandering around by himself on the side of the road.  He said that he looked like he was ready to pass out.  We got him home and had him scanned for a microchip, notified area shelters and looked for his owners, but no one came forward.  So, we got him neutered and he got all of his shots and a microchip and became ours. 🙂  His full name is Rollie Fingers and of course he is named after the Oakland Athletics baseball player.  I am not an A’s fan (the SF Giants are my team!), but the name is fitting for him.  He joins our other Boston Terrier, Guinness, so we now are like Noah’s Ark, with two of everything (2 Boston’s, 2 Border Collies and 2 siamese cats!). 🙂  Rollie is a very sweet boy and friendly to everyone he meets.  He is a great addition to our growing family — of which I hope there will be another human member of it this year. 🙂

Happy Sewing, friends!

Dress:  Vintage Vogue 8812 in apple green cotton gauze, made by me

Cardi:  Old Navy

Shoes:  Yellow Box

Necklace:  Etsy