Introducing the Serendipity Dress
It's here! I'm delighted to introduce the Serendipity Dress, a 1940s style tea dress, evening dress or gown. Gathered centre panels in contrast fabric on the bodice and skirt give the Serendipity dress its visual interest and make this pattern perfect for using offcuts of precious vintage yardage.
An interlining stay in the gathered bodice front provides a foundation to ensure that the gathers don't blouse out and distort the bodice fit (recommended for larger cup sizes; smaller cup sizes may be able to get away without the stay). The dress can be made with either a centre-front or centre-back zipper - markings are included on the pattern pieces for either cut-on-fold or centre seams.
Short puff and long bishop sleeves, and two lengths of skirt are included, so you can play with different variations.
The Serendipity dress is all about colourblocking! Make it in tone-on-tone solid and print fabrics, go for a contrast colour pop, or play with contrast in textures. My navy version is made in soft viyella as the main fabric, with printed satin panels providing the contrast, while the coral tea dress contrasts slinky rayon solid with printed rayon challis.
Note: This pattern is just for Patreon subscribers. Please do not share these downloads externally, so that I can keep creating exclusive new content just for Patrons!
Comments (21)
@Tuppence Ha’penny I’ve been gifted some smaller pieces of fabric and am thinking of using some to colour block the Serendipity dress… I’ve some plum wool I could use for the side/midriff and chiffon I’d like to use for the centre pieces. I’m thinking about how do I do this because I’ll have to line the chiffon… Wonder if the easiest thing to do (if I have enough fabric!) is to add a collar so I could then use the chiffon and lining as one piece without the finish being sewn? 🤔 How would you approach this please? Or has anyone done similar?
I would probably interline the chiffon (i.e. cut out the pattern piece in a lining fabric, sew to the chiffon around the edges, and treat it as a single piece). The bodice front is already interlined with the front stay, so that will ensure opacity (and in fact I think it would be quite a nice effect, showing off the transparency of the chiffon in the gathers) - you would just need some extra lining fabric to interline the skirt front.
This is the project I'm most excited to start & the one that first caught my notice of your Patreon. I'm so excited and love the colorblocking aspect of it & how I can find uses for precious small amounts of yardage.
That’s exactly why I love it so much, it’s the perfect pattern for small amounts of vintage yardage. I’m so excited to see what you make!
Silly question, but is the “Front Stay” basically like a flat lining for that section? Thanks!
Not a silly question at all! Yes, that's exactly what it is - it just ensures that the princess seam line stays where it's meant to be, and stops the gathered section from floofing out to the sides.
Gorgeous! Love a bishop sleeve with a little puff at the top… The colour blocking really adds to the 40s style. One Q please, with the contrast fabric, is that in addition to the main bodice/skirt yardage, or do we subtract that from the requirement?
The contrast fabric is in addition to the main fabric
this is just what i needed! thank you!
Amazing! Happy to be of service 😊
So I was just talking to my husband this past weekend about the fact that I don’t have enough of any fabric in my stash to make a full dress, and then this beauty showed up today! Talk about serendipity! Such a beautiful pattern; I can’t wait to make it. Thank you for all of the lovely patterns you offer…every time you post one I let out this little shriek of excitement 😂
Serendipity indeed! Have fun raiding your stash for fabric pairings 😊
I love it! Absolutely charming
Worth the wait!
Aww thanks! I'm so glad you like it :)
Absolutely gorgeous! Thank you for all you do! ❤️❤️❤️
I'm glad you like it! Thank you for your support 🥰
Lovely! 😍 I discovered an typing error in the sizing chart. Bust G/H, size 30 says 52 inches is 127 cm, but it should be 132 cm.
Well spotted - thanks for letting me know! I've updated the download file now.
This is beautiful 😍 Thank you
I'm so glad you like it!