1967 pattern- Simplicity 7470- Mod Green & White Tab Dress

I did version 2 but with long sleeves
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Notice that my husband gave the pattern cartoon a blond wig to make her look more like me-- don't you love how technology enriches our lives?
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That's a Reader's Digest sewing book from the 1970's. I was trying to "perfect" my dart process.
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Oh boy, I love to iron...NOT!
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I made this green and white mod dress from the 1967 pattern shown- Simplicity 7470. Here's the play-by-play of the making of this dress:

Trying it on over my clothes-- before hemming/side seams
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1.) FABRIC: Okay, so I said I'd never use cotton again. I totally lied. The posters who said that not all cottons are the same. They were 100% right. I used a ribbed 95% cotton, 5% spandex blend. It behaved nicely, and the drape was flattering. I'm happy to report that I avoided over-tailoring once again. Trust me, this is an accomplishment.

I'm really OCD about trying on my dresses at various stages.
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I don't know why I was so dense about cotton before. I should have realized that not all cottons are the same. My own closet has 100% cotton RTW dresses that have a beautiful softness and drape. One in particular is even body-con despite not having any spandex mixed in. I liked the ribbing on this cotton too-- it gave the final result more texture, which I sorely needed in the gray dress.
I still haven't found my "perfect" fabric though. Are you out there fabric? It's me, Astrid.

WOMAN SEEKING FABRIC: Wanted: the perfect fabric. Must be soft yet firm. Must be thick but not too thick. Must be stretchy but not too flimsy. Must not unravel on me...


2.) COLLAR: Okay, so the collar is kinda high. It actually photographs higher than it looks in real-life. I consider it a "stylistic" choice, rather than a fitting mistake. Even though it's supposed to be a "bias roll", it looks more like a "funnel neck" collar. I suppose I could have sized it down. Maybe size does matter, but what also matters is how lazy I am.

I also learned something new about "bias roll collars" this time around. When I made one before, I was confusing it with the stand-up collars and thought it was crazy high on my neck. Duh, I now realize you have to fold them over. I guess my head/neck size isn't super freakish after all. Just moderately freakish.

3.) DETAIL: After the lack of detail on the gray dress, I decided to add some detail to this one. The contrasting white bias tape on the hem and the sleeves was not on the original pattern. I rather like the result.

4.) MILESTONE: I didn't use Mr. Seam Ripper even once for this dress! He's wondering why I've stopped calling.

Okay, okay, I did have to use him to fix about 2 inches of hem that I messed up on, but it was 2 inches, come on!

This dress was the first-time I've finished a dress in one sitting. Sure, I had to go from noon to 8 pm, but it was worth it. I remember when I first started, I'd start at noon and be trying to finish the zipper at 10 pm.

Happy sewing adventures!
Astrid