Making the 1948 Dress

I’ve been dying to make this dress since I acquired the pattern over 10 years ago. I chose a lovely border print from Mood Fabrics in a cotton sateen. The pattern goes together quite nicely, I usually don’t have any issues with Vogue patterns and this one didn’t disappoint. The instructions were a little backward and I needed to adjust the grainline on the skirt pieces so that my border print would work, but otherwise it went together well. I was able to add a bit of the floral pattern on the armhole cuffs and pocket flat which I think works well to draw the eye upward.

I just recently discovered how well a lapped seam works for a shaped waistline. I can’t believe I’ve been struggling with this for all these years! Now that I know, the waist seam went together smoothly and looks perfect.

The original pattern calls for bound buttonholes (11), but I really wanted to accent the button closure up the side so I opted for machine buttonholes instead. This is also MUCH less time-consuming. I added a hook and eye closures to the waistline and underarm for a smoother finish. I am in love with this dress!