Can I talk about how excited I am for the B6453 sew along?
I’ve actually missed out on every sew along that Gertie from Blog For Better Sewing has hosted, so when the opportunity came up for me to FINALLY get in on some B6453 sew along action, I was pumped.
There are so many resources that are going to be flying about- and there are over 1000 people in Gertie’s official FB group who are participating 😱 I can’t wait to see the versions that people come up with and the amount of knowledge sharing that’ll come from making this dress.
From Gertie’s blog- the calendar for each week is below:
March 10: Supplies and Prepping
Week of March 13: FBA post, steps 1-4 (princess seams and back darts)
Week of March 20: steps 5-19 (straps and skirt View A)
Week of March 27: steps 20-27 (skirt View B and zipper)
Week of April 3: steps 28-32 (facing)
Week of April 10: Finishing (both views)
I am happy to say that the B6453 sew along is coinciding with Viva las Vegas!
I’ll be sewing both versions of this dress:
- Version A with the flared dress, made in a yellow poplin with pink and red tulips. I will be adding a self-made skinny belt to nip in the waist.
- Version B with the slim skirt, in black, for a Little Black Dress, also with a self made belt.
In both versions I’ll more than likely (haven’t decided yet) widen the straps to accommodate my bra, and will be shortening both the torso length and skirt length to fit my frame. I will also be lining the bodice on both versions as well.
My measurements are below:
- Bust: 41in/104cm
- Waist: 33.5in/85cm
- Hips: 42.5in/108cm
- Torso Length: 15in/38cm
- Height: 5’2″/157cm
For this video, I wanted to be sure to speak to the girls who are in my size range and will have fitting issues that I might experience. I probably won’t be structuring these videos in the same way that I do my usual tutorials, but more as a conversation with little excerpts of the sewing process. Gertie will be covering the majority of things, but a DD-cup, short torso, petite frame perspective is still super important! I’m sure this video series will be helpful to someone out there who is tackling this, is in my size range, and may not know where to start.
I’ll be putting out new videos weekly until the sew along is over, taking the tips that Gertie discusses and incorporating them into my workflow.
Watch more videos from the series!
Gertie Retro Keyhole Blouse, Video Sewing Tips!
The McCall’s M7625 Tutorial Video Series!
Video Tutorial, Fitting Vintage Butterick 6282
Video: The Retro Tiki Collab, Patterns by Gertie B6354
Hi, I’m also making this dress to wear at Viva. I will only be attending on Saturday and will be wearing my dress made with some of Gertie’s fabric as well. I am also using vintage elastic straps I have for it and will probably pair my yellow vintage spring hat with it.
Hi Susie- Thanks so much for the comment! Elastic straps are actually super wonderful for this dress! I’ve been going back and forth about what I’m going to use and I think last night I decided to make laces, that tie at the top of the shoulder. The adjustable slider ones are just impractical for my bust size (even with bras, they slip and slide- so annoying!)
So, I’ve decided to make the skirt long….like ankle length long. I put some horsehair braid in the hem and it holds out so nicely. I had very little fitting issues with this…although, my body does seem to be pretty standard and I hardly ever have to deal with the fitting part. Maybe we’ll see each other at Viva.
Sorry for the late comment!
I think the longer skirt will look fantastic– it’ll give it such a 90s vibe!
I hope you had a great time at Viva- I’m so sad that I couldn’t make it and even had to not look at IG for a few days so I could avoid all the fun I missed out on :(
Ooh, I’m looking forward to seeing your 2 versions. And I think you have just convinced me to take part! Woo hoo!!!
Can’t wait to see yours, now haha! As you saw on IG, the FBA is going to be insane, BUT- its a flattering fit once the adjustment is made!