Floral Frock

For my birthday i got this wonderful book - Floral Frocks by Rosemary Harden and Jo Turney. What a gem!

 

The book is a critique of the Floral dress - an item which has been in style and worn by women in every decade for a century (i learnt). It is really interesting to read the history of the fabrics and fashions and the differing styles and social significance of the dresses. And very lovely to see all the pictures of women in their frocks! It has definitely brought to my consciousness what a lovely thing a flowery dress is, and how nice it is to wear one.

Whilst flicking through the book I found this beauty. I love everything about it.

Bella!

So i tried for myself...

I used my tent dress pattern, this time using the round neck and long sleeve options. An added bonus is that C&H Fabrics are stocking some reproduction vintage floral print fabrics at the moment. They don't have one with the flowers in stripes like that, but i found an alternative with a big print which i really liked. A bold departure from the ditsy (literally).

Here is the result!

I like to wear the matching headscarf - but I do feel like i am in sixties fancy dress so probably just keep that for special occassions. My sister said i looked Russian - i think she meant peasant girl rather than Bond girl though. i didn't quite manage to get the sleeves - but maybe next time. 

here is what the dress looks like on a normal day, sans headscarf it is still a standalone gem!

I am pleased with the result, even though it is not quite what i had in mind when i started. This is to be my last summer dress of the year. But not the end of florals - Erdem is showing me the way forward! (there is even a patchwork skirt in there)

Yours Florally Frocked,

Emilia. xx x x x x x x x x

ps. while i am at it i will show you this little flowered one i made a couple of weeks ago. it is a simple tube shape with some chord for straps and a bit of elastic to help it fit. i made it from a curtain remnant - just like those coupon savvy forties girls. x