The Mint Sundae Dress

Today I'm bringing you another 1920s 1 Hour dress. This pattern is so basic and easy that I can't help but want to make it again and again! I went for a very different look with my second one.

The Mint Sundae Dress: A 1920s Afternoon Dress

Fabric: 2.5 yds of embroidered cotton purchased at Costume College 2013 ($6/yd)

Pattern: Festive Attyre's 1 Hour Dress Lawn Party edition

Year: 1920s

Notions: just thread

How historically accurate is it? Fairly. I did serge my seams. While embroidery was popular on dresses, I'm not sure about the netting used in the embroidery section. I did make my own bias tape for finishing the neckline and sleeves and I thought that that was a very period touch.

Hours to complete: More than 1 one but the cutting took a while because I wanted to get the motifs lined up just right.

First worn: August 2015 to church

Total cost: ~$15

Overall, I am very happy with how this dress came out! This pattern definitely looks better in a more light weight, drapey fabric. The skirt shape is much more columnar which adds to the 1920s feel.

Originally, I had purchased this fabric with an Edwardain/19-teens dress in mind but I couldn't come up with anything that felt different enough from my other boarder print/embroidered/scallopy dress. I really need to start giving my costumes names so you know what I'm talking about when I refer to one of them. This is the Mint Sundae Dress.

So 1920s it was. I thought this fabric would be just perfect for a garden party type dress like those often worn by the ladies on Downton Abbey. It's light and airy and looks appropriately dainty for a woman who's not supposed to do anything more strenuous than eat hors d'oeuvres and make small talk.

The print placement took a bit of work to figure out. There was a lot going on and I didn't want anything odd going on like vines pointing to my breasts or the sheer part coming down to low (which is why this fabric never made it to a vintage 40s/50s dress before).

It's very light weight and airy for summer. I think it would be perfect for a summer wedding. For the first time in a while, I know several couples who are engaged so I might actually get invited to a wedding that I can just go to and enjoy!

One of the things I had to contend with on this dress was that there was a large section of sheer fabric on the border print. Should I underline it? Make a separate slip? Just position it carefully? I know in the decade previous, this would have been a nonissue. They just let their undergarments show through sheer fabrics. Of course, they also wore like 3-4 layers of underthings before they could get to the actual dress. I decided that I'd just be ok with my bra and slip straps showing a bit.

Really, you can't tell that much. Plus this dress is quite covered up as far as the rest of it goes. And the pearls make it classy. Pearls make everything classy.

Ah, I'm just so in love with this fabric! It's so pretty! It's so girly and delicate and not something I'd normally gravitate towards.

But it really works with this dress. Sometimes stepping out of your comfort zone helps you step further out of your comfort zone.

Downton Abbey 1 Hour Dresses

After the success of my 1 hour dress, I've been day dreaming of more! I thought I'd try and find some inspiration from Downton Abbey and I found quite a few dresses that could be recreated using the 1 hour dress pattern.

This delightful white summer dress is darling! Add a peter pan collar and drapey bits to a dress made in cotton voile or lawn.

This version features a boat neck and gathers on the side panels. While I suspect this dress was hand embroidered, you might be able to find some pre-embroidered fabric.

 This dress would take a bit more effort to get to with the sailor collar and set in sleeves but you could merge a sailor blouse pattern with the 1 hour dress pattern to do something similar.

Sybil is rocking out a cute printed version of the 1 hour dress. It's a perfect pattern for a great print or fun embellishment. This one features longer sleeves and a matching underskirt which works for the earlier period when Sybil was still on the show.

Edith's, Mary's (seen above) and Rose's could all be made with the 1 hour dress pattern. Edith's dress features some pretty embroidery and a cute collar. Rose's dress has a slimmer skirt and has a great beaded pattern on it. And check out the cute bows at the hips!

The really key to these dresses is picking a light weight drapey fabric and then adding a special detail like embroidery or a print. With additional neckline and collar variations, the possiblities are endless! Which should I make next?