I’ve had many requests from customers for an easy dress pattern that even a beginner could tackle. When the 1950s won my fashion era poll in late 2010, I decided to create something that would provide glamorous results without tears for beginners and also satisfy long-time vintage fashion enthusiasts. I hope this pattern fills the bill!

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I finally got the photos back from my amazing photographer, Steve Anderson, who did the shoot in Nairobi four weeks ago. I’m thrilled with the results and have to narrow down to one iconic image for the pattern cover, so I need your help!

We shot photos this weekend for my new Ladies’ 1958 Party Dress pattern, inspired by Ruth Orkin’s iconic “American Girl in Italy” from 1951. When my husband saw the original shot, he said, “Honey, that is the perfect setup for your new pattern!” Of course, Orkin didn’t set up the original–she just caught it as [...]

Thank you so much for all the Kanga, dress, and necklace orders! We’ve now finished for this month, but I hope to send a new batch of Kangas home in the summer.

The Titanic Centenary Memorial dinner we attended on April 12 was a fantastic success. The event raised over $6000 for a community-based conservation effort on Kenya’s coast, and we ate an incredible meal reproduced from the last first-class dinner served on board the ship. Many of those in attendance dressed in retro fashions (including guys in [...]

Well, our Internet went out last weekend and has been spotty this week, so I haven't had a chance to share the finishing of the dress until now. Your comments were all so helpful on the skirt options, and it was hard to decide how to arrange the overskirt, but I ended up going for expediency, as my deadline was fast approaching.

After stitching together the bodice, I experimented with several skirt variations. I'd love to get your feedback on these, as there are a lot of ways to put together a 1912 skirt.

Time to build the foundational bodice for the delicate saree overlay. This is where everything starts to come together–so exciting!

I got lots of excellent feedback on Part Two of my diary, which centered on the two main options for my bodice’s inset. Now it’s time to really mix things up and show just how much fun you can have playing with fabrics to achieve the perfect 1912 look! In addition to the two inset [...]

Pinning the toile to fit properly, lining up the inset, and cutting into the fashion material make up Part Two of this fun project. And I'd love your opinions on the bodice inset option!