Little Black Dress

Everyone needs a simple black dress in their wardrobe! Michelle needed one and picked out this pattern, from 1966. She needed it to wear to Grandma Joyce’s celebration of life. With simple lines I figured it would be an easy enough sew. It’s always interesting when I can tell where a pattern started it’s life. This one obviously was first sold at J.C. Penney in Fresno. For fun here is the inside of a J.C Penney store in the 1960’s. I would love to shop here! Look how the shoppers are dressed! Such class!

Alas, I live in 2023, and will happily settle with home sewing and vintage patterns! With that I got to work on view 3.

I laid the pattern out on some solid black that Michelle had bought. These pieces are the front and back of the dress.

Here are the front and back sides of the dress.

It was a simple sew. One design element that it features is to have the front seams top stitched. Also, I found out that while taking pictures up close, you can see all of the little lint that’s on it!

Darts marked and being sewn.

The back of the dress, with the shoulders pinned to the front piece.

Prepping the neck facings. They needed interfacing on the back side of them. I also put a zig zag stitch along the outer edge to help stop fraying, then ironed the edge to be hemmed.

Sewing right along.

The dress was finished and made it’s debut at Grandma Joyce’s celebration of life. The next weekend we were out and about on Memorial Day weekend. We saw that the cemetery in town had American flags on the graves of the Veterans, but had somehow left out Grandpa Bert, and Great-Grandpa James Bert. Here they both are, with Great-Grandma Sophrona in the middle. James Bert in his WWI uniform, and Grandpa Bert in his WWII uniform.

We weren’t going to leave them out so off to the store we went! Michelle looks great in her new little black dress!

Giving Grandpa Bert his flag, and some flowers for him and Grandma Doris too!

We had to make sure that our people were not forgotten on this Memorial Day!

Flag and flowers were also delivered to James Bert and Sophrona. We gave everyone flowers, Great-Grandma and Great-Grandpa Ricks, Great- Great Grandma Gertrude Elizabeth, Grandma Doris’ brothers, Mike and Albert. Of course Grandma Joyce and Grandpa Vito, and her parents, Grandma Great and Granddad, weren’t left out.

Although I think it’s important to honor and remember those who came before you, you still have your life to live. So we went back out and finished our photo shoot of Michelle’s new dress.

Michelle chose to wear this fun, vintage broach. She can always change up the look of the dress by adding different accessories. Since black in neutral it can be mixed and matched in lots of ways!

A simple dress with classic lines will always be in fashion!

Michelle will have her little black dress for many more events, or just a casual event like waking up in the morning. I’m reminded to make every day count, and enjoy each one! Celebrate the life of those who you’ve lost, and celebrate your own future!

As for me, onto the next!