Mia’s Green Dress

Sometimes, when looking at a pattern envelope, it’s hard for me to look past the styling of the era. Mia had come home to go to Grandma Joyce’s Birthday party, and picked out this pattern from 1971 to be her party dress. Looking past the styling, and hair on this pattern envelope, I could see the dress was simple and cute. Mia picked out this green fabric with a tan floral print, and I got to work!

Pattern sizes are not the same as the size you would wear off the rack. This pattern was in one size. I needed it to be slightly bigger to fit Mia’s measurements. Since I didn’t have far to up size it, I added on an inch on both sides of each pattern. I marked the fabric and used tailor’s chalk to mark the new size.

The sleeves on this dress were big!

Putting interfacing on the bodice lining.

This dress has four buttons on the bodice, which close with little fabric loops. This is when I was sewing the little button loops.

They then had to be pinned very carefully into place.

Sewing it all together, and edge stitching it.

Now to work on the sleeves!

Sewing the sleeves together.

Hemming the sleeve with room for elastic. The wrist of these sleeves is gathered.

Mia picked out these era wooden buttons for her bodice.

Mia’s dress was complete! She carried a little, vintage gold purse from the late 1940’s, early 1950’s that Grandma Joyce had given her long ago. It belonged to Grandma Joyce, she told Mia she would take it out dancing and carry lipstick and a tissue in it.

Grandma Joyce, Mia, and Kira taking time for a picture.

I loved the way this turned out. Mia can wear it anywhere!

Look closely, Mia also wore a birthstone ring that belonged to her Great-Great Grandmother, Clara Belle Ricks. Another gift from a grandma, this time it was Grandma Doris who gave the ring to Mia. She and Grandma Ricks do share the same birth month, after all.

It’s little details that really personalize an outfit and make you feel good wearing something.

As for Mia she was thrilled with her new dress!

That was a lot of sewing for one event! Each one of us wearing clothing from a different decade in Grandma Joyce’s life. Mia in the 1970’s, Michelle in the 1930’s, and me in the 1940’s. With 100 years under her belt I would have to sew a lot more to represent all of the decades which the world has been blessed with to have our beloved Grandma Joyce.

So what’s the key to long life?

David had once asked Grandma Joyce when he was about 4 years old, what it felt like to be old. She explained to him that she felt exactly like she did when she was a young girl. David then gently squeezed her arm and said, “it feels squishy” HA! Grandma Joyce laughed and laughed. It was however interesting insight from someone who was already getting up there in age back then.

This picture of Grandma Joyce sits on a shelf in my sewing room, reminding me to be kind, and not to lose your feelings of youth on the inside. Maybe that’s the answer, she does, after all have 100 years of proof of that it just might be!

As for me, onto the next!