Vtg Simplicity 2757 ~ the Bicycle Dress

This dress started out as one of *those* projects.  Let me start at the beginning...

I bought this adorable vintage pattern last winter, Simplicity 2757:

Lovely, right?  Scooped square neckline, elbow sleeves, tiny bows.  And in a larger bust size!  Score! I must have pulled it out of the pattern box a dozen times before last week.  Finally, my project table is empty and I'm feeling the vintage dress bug, so I began tracing.

I traced the bodices first, then went back and used the bodice from this pattern that fit so well, to make any additional adjustments.  I skipped the muslin because, you know, that McCalls dress fit so well.  Uh huh.  I sadly used an adorable polkadot chambray that I have been hoarding for this fiasco of a bodice.

Main problem...TOO BIG.  I cut away at least 2 inches from the side seams and that only partially helped.  Long story short...I set it all aside and then Monday had a stroke of "OMG, I am so stupid sometimes" (ha.  You thought I was going to say genius, didn't you.) I had cut away about 2" from the side seams of the polkadot monstrosity....and I had added about the same amount in my "adjustments".  What if I straight muslin the actual pattern?  Presto!  Almost perfect.

I didn't actually  need much in the way of adjustments after all; a broad back adjustment, re-angle the shoulder seam, and move the shoulders in about 3/4 of an inch.  (I really need a 38 bust for my shoulders, but it's not so hard to adjust a slightly bigger pattern).

I did leave off the  waist darts because I wanted to forgo the zipper and just pull this over my head.  Likewise, I didn't fool with pleats this time, just gathers.  My favorite part, the tiny bow at center front:

I'm calling this the Bicycle Dress, because look...not grey polka dots, tiny BICYCLES.  All over.  (This is a Free Spirit quilting cotton called Weekends).

Other stuff...I didn't have quite enough fabric for a hem (ahem, haha!), so I added a cheeky ruffle.

 

Armholes finished with pink bias...

Inside seams all serged...

Bodice lined in white batiste, except I didn't cut it quite long enough.  Oops.  I had to stitch it to the top of the skirt/bodice seams, and it didn't quite cover them up!  Oh well.  Who's going to know?  (Except me and the couple hundred of you, that is.)

It is SO HOT and SO SUNNY here, I'm melting.  (Not literally).  I hope you're staying cool wherever you are!