1940s panel dress modelled by Gabriela 2

Pattern:

For this outfit I used 1940s Panel Dress by Fashioned By Rebecca. I wasn’t particularly keen on the lace trims so I drafted a collar piece instead.

Fabric:
The dress is made in a purple spotted quilting cotton from Moda (I think it came from a quilt kit I cannibalised). The lining is an Australian Aboriginal design in purple from M&S textiles — the base fabric is much lighter and smoother than quilting cotton, almost a lawn. The collar and sleeve bands are an off-white cotton voile. I used ribbon for the waist ties instead of the dress fabric (because I loathe trying to turn long tubes). I added one decorative button to the centre front instead of two small buttons. For the fastening I intended to do buttons but I’ve had hand issues recently so I used a Velcro strip instead. The petticoat is in cotton homespun with a broderie anglaise flounce.

Construction:
As this is a 20th century outfit, most of it was sewn on machine. The pattern was easy to follow — I was particularly grateful that each seam was labelled so that it was easy to match the right pieces together. On the other hand, the designer used a generous quarter-inch seam allowance which was difficult for me to achieve because my quarter-inch foot is designed for a quilter’s scant seam allowance. The back panels were 1/8″ over the width of the yoke pieces (which I managed to fudge) and the front panels were more than 3/8″ over which was unfudgeable.

As it happened, I had cut the pieces out rather late one night and wasn’t concentrating enough, so I accidentally cut two front yoke pieces rather than one on the fold. I decided to make a small pleated insert to make up the deficit. I cut it quite wide and long so that I could trim it to the exact dimensions required, which was lucky as the gap between the two pieces turned out to be close to 1″ — I guess I should be grateful that the two errors more or less compensated for each other.

I re-traced the pattern pieces, taking off 1/16″ from every seam edge so that the next version of the dress would be better. Then, in a fit of absent mindedness, I tore up the original pieces … and promptly realised that I hadn’t cut out the lining yet. I used the new pieces but I had to add that 1/16″ all around by eye. I also drafted a new front yoke piece to match the dimensions of the dress for this version only.



The pieces all fitted together pretty well but because of the seam issue and, in particular because the lining and the dress were not cut from the same pattern pieces, I decided it was too much of a risk to stitch the lining to the dress around the hem in the way the pattern stated. You can just see in the flared photo that the skirt fabric has a larger circumference than the lining so it was a good call. Instead I finished all the seams by overcasting and did double-turned hems instead — 1/4″ for the dress and 3/8″ for the lining. The dress is consequently 1/4″ shorter than intended. Similarly I overcast the sleeve seams separately rather than trying to turn the lining over the allowance (or binding them as the pattern suggested).

The collar piece I had drafted and cut out is technically too small around the neck but it allows more of the pleated insert to be seen. I chose to use white voile (because it was still on the cutting table), and some very stiff interfacing I had used in another project recently. Unfortunately both choices were poor. The voile was too sheer and I would have been better off with a lawn or a poplin, even if it had to be polyester cotton rather than 100% cotton. At the same time the interfacing was too stiff and the collar doesn’t sit right. It was too small to understitch by machine and I didn’t fancy trying to hand-stitch through the very stiff interfacing, so the collar edge isn’t quite as neat as it could be, but it’s not bad. If I really wanted the rolled edge look I think I’d have to turn the outer curve seam allowances independently and stitch the pieces together by hand, or alternatively, stitch and understitch the main curve only before stitching the ends. I might try one or the other on the next version.

The back closure is a 6″ strip of 3/8″ low-profile Velcro which is a bit anachronistic, I know, but I just bought 15 yards via etsy and wanted to try it out. The loop side was easy to baste with glue but the hook side is more plastic-feeling and the glue didn’t set at all. I may have to pin or tack in place in future. I may also add purely decorative buttons at some stage.

Petticoat


About halfway through construction I decided that the skirt needed a petticoat in order to make the panels flare out. I drafted a pattern for a half-circle skirt where the circumference was slightly less than the skirt hem, the waist was large enough to fit Samantha 2 (PC late 1990s version) and the length was 5″, which is roughly the distance from waist to knee. I sewed a half-inch seam and turned the allowances in for a clean finish. I overcast the raw bottom edge by machine and then added a flounce of pre-gathered broderie anglaise edging — I had exactly (and I mean exactly) the same length as the skirt edge. There wasn’t enough for a seam, so I overcast the raw ends of the broderie and joined it with my very poor attempt at a faggotting stitch. The bound edge of the broderie gives the skirt a little stiffness so it flares well. The waist band was cut to Samantha’s size, with a one-inch overlap, and the curved waistline of the skirt was clipped and eased to fit. I added low-profile Velcro strips (note: it was easy to trim the width down from 3/8″ to 1/4″ and it was easy to sew through by machine). Naturally I then decided to use Gabriela 2 as my model instead of Samantha and the waistband is a little too large for her, so it’s pinned in place at the back.

The petticoat is a little long, which I should have expected when I added the flounce, and it’s also a bit larger in circumference than the dress for the same reason. I really like the half-circle look, though, and I think I’ll make it again in a better fabric. I might use cording or millinery wire at the hem instead of broderie for a smoother look.

Fit:

Although the yoke is a little large on Gabriela I really love the look of this dress — it’s a very flattering design and the waist ties make it adjustable for different body sizes. I’ll definitely be making more doll dresses from this pattern now that I’ve worked out most of the kinks. The pattern is well written and has plenty of illustrations to help with construction (and, as I mentioned earlier, the skirt panel seams are all labelled to minimise confusion).

I tried it on Samantha and as you can see the bodice is slightly less loose at the sides. The skirt flares a little without the petticoat but I definitely prefer the fuller look with the petticoat support.

Lessons Learned:
1. Small differences in seam allowance can add up to a significant shortage or overhang.
2. Don’t cut fabric when you’re tired.
3. Voile is too light and too loose for collars and cuffs — use a lawn or poplin if you can find it.
4. Doll collars need a lightweight interfacing, not the ultra-stiff kind used for machine appliqué.

Notes for future versions:
1. Re-trace the pattern, reducing each seam allowance on the panels by roughly 1/16″ (already done).
2. Layer the fabric and lining so that all panels are cut from the same pieces at the same time.
3. Either use the suggested lace trim or re-draft the collar.