Wearin' o' the Green
or
Not my Grandma's Housedress
My Grandma wore housedresses around the house, always with high heels. That's where I get my love for wearing high heels every day. Whether she went out of the house or not, she would always "put her face on" every morning and have her hair fixed nicely. (A daily habit of mine as well--I don't even go to the mailbox without makeup. I'd scare the bunnies and bears otherwise.) When she went out, she'd wear gloves, a hat, and a nice dress. And high heels. I loved her style.
Anyway, my Grandma's housedresses looked sort of like this.
I like wearing dresses around the house as well. This is my version of the ideal wintertime housedress, comfortable and warm, and made in one of my favorite colors, a fresh spring green (just in time for St. Patrick's Day). The fabric is a merino wool sweatshirt fleece knit.
Here it is, duded up with my hand-knitted necklace, made from Noro Silk Garden Light yarn. The silk/wool blend necklace is a surprisingly warm accessory and adds a punch of comfortable color.
Pattern: Vogue 1312 by Lynn Mizono
Fabric: Green Fleeced Merino Wool Double Knit from www.FabricMart.com. This is really lovely stuff--a sweatshirt fleece fabric made from 100% merino wool. I prewashed the fabric on the wool setting with Eucalan and hung it over a double clothesline to dry; there was no shrinkage, either in width or length. I steam pressed it with a light touch to preserve the fabric's loft.
The fabric was $10/yard. It's no longer on the Fabric Mart site. I've since seen it for sale on Etsy but the price is higher.
The dress took 5 yards of fabric (52 inches wide) and I only have scraps left over.
Modifications:
1.I modified the waistline by dipping the back waistline seam for a more flattering fit and a more interesting look.
2. I did not add the recommended side zipper, since the knit dress slips on and off easily without it.
3. I am 5'2" and chose not to shorten the dress. It therefore comes to my ankles. I put in a 2 inch hem, topstitched with my coverhem machine.
4. Instead of self-lining the bodice as recommended in the instructions, I bound the neckline in self-fabric using Sarah Veblen's foolproof method.
And that's it! This was the last piece of sweatshirt-type fabric that I purchased, and I'm glad that all three pieces made it to my wintertime wardrobe and didn't get tucked away in my stash.
Now to move on to other cold-weather projects that have been percolating in the background. Next up: a Donna Karan sweater dress.
19 comments:
Kathryn, this is lovely! The color is beautiful and I've always loved this pattern. I would guess that this is just gorgeous on you! What a wonderful way to be stylish whether at home or out and about.
My mom was that type of woman, too. She did not use make up, just lipstick, but she would never ever go out without lipstick and her earrings. Never. She went to the hair salon every week or had somebody come home to do her hair. She slept with a hair net and would not allow a window down in a car. Just remembering these things makes me smile.
That dress is beautiful, I would love to have something like that.
That looks great, Kathryn! And I bet it is really really cozy!
That dress packs a punch!
Do you only wear a dress for one day before laundering? Is a dress like this hard to dry after washing? (I don't have a dryer so such things impact my sewing).
Amazing dress, sounds so lovely and warm, and the colour will brighten the most dull day!
Ruthie, I launder my cuddly stay-at-home dresses just like I do my sweaters. By the 3rd or 4th wearing it's time for a machine wash on the wool setting with Eucalan and then air dry. When I prewashed this merino wool knit yardage, it air-dried overnight with no problem.
HTH, Kathryn
This doesn't look like any house dress my grandma wore! *smile* this is beautiful! Love your fabric choice and how you can dress it up or down! Don't have to worry about opening the door for the UPS driver in this beauty!
The modern version of a house dress, but really this is certainly public friendly as well. Beautiful.
Absolutely perfect. Love the green color. It appeals to my Celtic heritage ;)
This dress is the perfect upscale alternative to wearing a robe around the house on a cold or rainy day. The color is amazing. I saw the fabric on the site but was unsure about the color but now I see you were absolutely right to purchase!
Oh I love this! That design in that fabric and color is perfect! Doesn't look like any housecoat my grandmother wore! LOL. And it sure beats my yoga pants and baggy fleece top, which is my go-to wear-at-home-winter gear.
Absolutely gorgeous!
Absolutely gorgeously stunning a dress. Amazing colour - and to this it's merino wool! I remember my grandmother always in dresses, too, and she lived and worked on a wheat/cattle farm her entire life. I only remember her wearing trousers once. She still only wears dresses. Thanks for such a pretty, cheery post.
I can just see how stunning this will look with your gorgeous coloring. Beautiful! Five yards? wowsa!
very smart - I should take a leaf out of your book
That is lovely! The dip at the back waist makes a huge difference!
Wow! That's your housedress? I would totally wear this to a red carpet event, it's lovely!
The hem is amazing. This is a go anywhere dress.
Your dress looks very striking in bright green. I wouldn't relegate it to in home wear. Go anywhere in black boots and a necklace.
Great and happy looking dress :-) and I think the way you sewed it was perfect for this fabric. :-) Kristin
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