Red, White, & Blue SUPER Dress!

It started with me looking on-line for "cowl neck dress patterns free" and I found the "Eva" dress which I thought looked easy to sew, beautiful lines...Then I signed up for the "Your Style Rocks" site to get access to the pattern, and looked at The Opulent Poppy blog to see the Eva who designed the dress--she made a super modest one out of vintage yellow cotton.  (Hurrah for MODEST WOMEN!)

Printed out all 54 or so pages of the pattern in my size.  Carefully taped them together, cut them out, and started looking for stretchy fabric in my fabric storage.  Nothing in yardage, and being thrifty makes you more creative/desperate...

I had recently gone through all the boy's t-shirts with Stewart as we looked for post-mission clothes for him.  Superman was in a Sam-doesn't-want pile and too big for Stewart (he likes to wear correct size, slim & trim and not baggy) and the Nebraska map fabric was a too-small-but-Roxie-didn't-want pile.  Instead of using top of pattern I used a tissue-weight t-shirt that was way too low on it's own. 

When Suzanna saw the skirt portion she was immediately complimentary and interested so I made it to fit her.  She wore it to Church Sunday with a red belt that cinched in the middle more on her hourglass figure and she got many, many compliments.  The Young Women's president couldn't believe I made it and wanted the YW to learn, use their old YW camp t-shirts.  Actually her parting quote was "You should PIN it!"

The front portion of skirt is one t-shirt--one without side seams so I cut the pattern as it fit under the left arm-pit and wrapped around the right side onto the back of the t-shirt.

Mixing & matching other cast-off t-shirts and stretchy fabric tops I made 2 other dresses, a turquoise & bright neon yellow one I love and a modern polka-dotted yellow & gray & black & white.  They went together quickly because I was using a t-shirt or stretchy top that is finished and using the t-shirt hems for the hem of the dress.  It is a color-blocked look, very comfortable, totally me. 

So where is the picture?  I need to be a little braver to wear it, because it is so wild, new, artsy.  I say it is totally me and then I get nervous, embarassed a little, not wanting the attention I know I will get.  I need some confidence-boosting cheerleaders.  John loves it, it is modest, maybe a little sexy because I look like a woman in it, with girl parts, instead of hiding.

I altered this top after Cardigan Empire's suggestion that cowl necks are perfect for my Delicious Apple Middle body shape, and felt pretty on our date to Star Trek movies (Saturday matinee with all the kids in tow, so it was more a family outing than a date-date).

(Dirty mirror needs to be cleaned.)  Did not want to wear a tank top or another t-shirt underneath so sewed in another fuschia modesty bib layer (another t-shirt) just under the cowl to bring the neckline up higher.

Save those t-shirts, even with holes!  The Superman dress has two hearts appliqued on random cities to patch over two tiny holes.  If you don't think you will make anything with those t-shirts, donate them to me, and I will hand-craft one for you (or me!).