Vintage Hankie Dress

I've done a couple of posts about vintage hankies and little projects I can do with them.  But until now I haven't actually made one into a garment.

I forgot to take a picture of the hankie before I started, but I decided to use it as the bodice of a toddler Easter dress.  Since it was such a sheer fabric, and because it had scalloped edges that didn't quite fit the pattern pieces, I fused it to a lightweight cotton.

  Then I zz-ed around the edges to make sure it stayed put.

Made the little dress from McCalls 6017.  The purple sateen cotton was bought on Etsy.

And best of all found a seersucker fabric that EXACTLY matched this 50-60 year old handkerchief!  I was absolutely thrilled when I found it at Hancock.  They couldn't have matched better if they were designed to go together!  

So I used it for the flounce.  Adorned with yellow rick-rack which is just about my favorite thing in the whole world (I love yellow and I love rick-rack!)

I always dreaded the thought of cutting up one of my hankies, but I love this little dress so much I might actually take the plunge and do it again.  (Hankie I used is in the middle of this picture.)

Easter Dress Number Two:  McCalls M4817.  My nod to vintage sewing here is the old Boiltex Rick Rack from the 1940's.  I've had it in my stash for quite a while waiting for just the right project to use it.  I LOVE the color!  And it worked perfectly here.  My attempt at an appliqué wasn't perfect, but if you don't look too closely, its not bad. 

Oh...and the back zipper is also from my stash of mid-20th century notions.  It is an old metal Talon zipper "Orient Blue".  Again, it perfectly matched the blue in this fabric print.

I also got to have some fun with my ruffler attachment on these dresses.  I used it for the bottom flounces on both of them because they are so long - 130" on the pink one - that it would have been difficult to gather it and keep the gathers even.  So instead I have nice, perfectly pleated ruffles.  Love!