Making the 1964 2-Piece Dress

Here's another dress that I made for my birthday. This one is in a heavy-weight white matelasse that I got from Mood Fabrics. This pattern went together easily with no major issues. I had originally planned on lining the top, but decided that it was not necessary because of the weight of the fabric. When I was planning to make this, I was going to make two separate top pieces, so I decided to make the camisole portion in a nude fabric to work with a white burnout fabric I had. I only had a 4-way stretch nude fabric and so used that. It was not the best choice and even though it worked out - I would suggest using a woven fabric for the camisole. I never made the second top.

I am not a  fan of bound buttonholes and this top needed three! Luckily my fabric was stable and they were easy to make. I embellished the front of the top with clear sequins and used some gorgeous white metal buttons. If you want to cut corners, I found that the top slipped on easily over my head so I really didn't need to worry about the buttonholes being functional. You do need those working snaps however. As usual, I used an invisible zipper in the side seam, though this is one case where a lapped side zipper would be nice as well.

I am very happy with how this dress came out and would definitely recommend using a matelasse or other heavier fabric. I am pretty much a perfect size 16 in vintage patterns and didn't need to make many alterations. Adjust as needed for your body type.