english girl at home

A Sewing & Knitting Blog, Made in Birmingham, England

Mustard Crepe Joan Dress, Plus Giveaway

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Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

I was really thrilled to be asked by Sew Over It to help pattern test their new pattern the Joan Dress. The version shown here was made using the test version of the pattern. I graded between an 8 at the bust, and 10 at the waist and hips.

Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

The design is a vintage-inspired wiggle dress, named after Mad Men bad ass, Joan. I don’t regularly sew vintage or vintage inspired patterns, but I love them! The very first garment I made, outside of school, was a vintage dress. I do however sew lots of indie patterns, so a vintage-inspired indie pattern is perfect for me:)

I have a bad habit to rush through sewing projects, so I really enjoyed that this dress encourages slow sewing. Not only because it is lined, but also because it includes lots of lovely details, including that adorable collar and six darts. There is also some hand sewing involved, which I know not everyone enjoys, but I do as it allows me to sew while sat on the sofa with Phil of an evening. Much more social than sewing alone at my machine.

Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

This was my very first time sewing a kick pleat, and I actually made a dumb mistake when I first ‘finished’ making the dress – I sewed the kick pleat on the outside. Alex at Sew Over It pointed me to their kick pleat tutorial which I found really helpful and would recommend as a general guide to sewing a kick pleat for any pattern. It looks much neater sewn on the inside;p

The lovely big kick pleat means that this dress is actually pretty practical despite being fitted, although I do need help with the top of the zip as I can’t quite reach up with the dress on.

Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

I made the dress in a Mustard Crepe supplied by Sew Over It. The fabric has a beautiful colour, weight and drape.The colour is most accurately represented in the photo below. I couldn’t bear waiting until the weekend to get some photos and blog about the dress, but sadly it’s already dull by the time I get home from work now, so the other photos are slightly washed out. The dress is lined with a nude rayon, which worked really well as it doesn’t show through at all (a darker lining would). I fancy trying the dress is a wool next. I love that the Sew Over It website allows you to search suitable fabric for each of their patterns, and they have some lovely wool fabrics suggested for the Joan Dress.

Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

Lovely as this crepe is, it was a trickier sew than making the dress in a wool as it shows every crease, and easing the sleeves in was fiddly. I redid the sleeve heads and I still have some puckers!

Sew Over It Joan Dress in Mustard Crepe

Now for the giveaway!

Giveaway now closed

Sew Over It have provided an extra copy of the paper pattern to give away! All you need to do to enter is to leave a comment on this post. Let me know your all time favourite TV show for beautiful clothing – is it Mad Men, or do you have another favourite? Twin Peaks is a favourite of mine, Audrey always looks superb. The giveaway is open internationally and please make sure to include your email address in your comment if it is not easily available in your profile. The giveaway is open until midnight on Monday 05th October, after which I’ll randomly pick a winner and announce it on the blog.

Giveaway now closed

Categories: Sewing | Tags: 60s, crepe, , Joan, mustard, retro, , sew over it, sewing, vintage, wiggle | Permalink.

Author: Charlotte

Sewist, crafter & blogger, based in Birmingham, England. I'm spending the year growing and gathering to create natural dyes and enhance my sewing projects. Find me at englishgirlathome.com

42 thoughts on “Mustard Crepe Joan Dress, Plus Giveaway

  1. I always think watching Darling Buds of May as a child gave me my obsession with floral 50s style dresses! x

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  2. I love the clothes from Mad Men! My new go to TV show full of BEAUTIFUL clothing though is Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries- great 1920’s clothes🙂

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  3. What a beautiful dress- that color!! Even though it’s not my style, I always admire Lucy Liu’s wardrobe on Elementary. So chic!

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  4. Its lovely Charlotte, long sleeved dresses always look so elegant! I love watching Miss Fishers Murder Mysteries for the clothes, Phryne has a spectacular wardrobe!

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  5. Beautiful dress! I love the costuming on House of Elliot. And I watch Mad Men for their amazing wardrobe! xxx

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  6. Your dress looks fab! I’m so glad I read that. I’m just about to go off to Brum to buy some dress fabric today, so will think about the creasing of crepes. I also love Mad Men for their styling.

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  7. Love it. That color looks great on you.

    It’s not totally relevant to my life, but I really enjoy the clothes from Downton Abbey. What can I say.

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  8. This looks fab! I’ve made their box pleat skirt from sew over it vintage in this fabric and I love it – the fabric is so soft🙂 I’d love to win a copy of the Joan pattern – I love mad men but also call the midwife for their 50s/60s fashion and I love the great gatsby film for all the sparkly 20s dresses!

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  9. I love Downton Abbey for the beautiful costumes and accessories x

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  10. You’ve done a cracking job – you look fab in mustard!

    oh this is a tricky one: Mad Men (I would wear everything!) and Downton Abbey (more for oohs and aahs at the fabric and draping)

    http://www.mancunianvintage.com

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  11. That colour really suits you. Lovely job. I love seeing the ladies in Bones. Thanks for the chance K xXx

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  12. Ah the kick pleat dilemma. I don’t think I’ve ever done one perfectly but yours looks great! I like any Agatha Christie adaptations for the 40s/50s outfits – the recent itv Tuppence & Tommy one was full of beautiful outfits.

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  13. It has to be Mad Men: the attention to details is amazing. I remember a scene when a young secretary was wearing a skirt with a massive hem, surely made to look like she’d shortened her skirt herself to follow the super short mini skirt trend. A visually brilliant show!

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  14. Great dress! really like the colour on you too. Im currently watching Mad Men so am pretty obsessed with their clothes but always love re-watching Sex and the City and lusting after their outfits too!

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  15. There are so many shows where I love looking at the clothing. But recent favorite is Nashville, there are so many stunning clothes there, it’s insane. But Mad Men’s era reflects better on my style.

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  16. This is lovely. Mad men is brilliant for clothing inspiration but so is another show of a similar era-Pan Am! I love the hats!

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  17. Such a great frock! The back is particularly awesome – from the little collar details down to the kick pleat! I do love the Mad Men era stuff, but I found myself coveting the First Lady’s wardrobe in House of Cards even more. Super stylish and a more modern twist on classic outfits.

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  18. Love this dress so much! I’m not sure I’ve ever given much thought to the styling on tv programmes with one much adored exception: Ru Paul’s Drag Race. Admittedly not for styling in my own life but my word. Those dresses. THEY’RE HEAVEN!

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  19. I love your dress. Surely the dresses of Mad Men are adorable, but I like very much seeing the costumes of Downton Abbey. Thank you and SweOverIt for the giveaway!

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  20. The colour and style look fab on you. I like to look at what celebrities are wearing and we’ve a show called loose women on on a lunch time in the uk which I like to watch – for the styles of what’s current.

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  21. What a happy colour. Awesome dress. I love the costumes on Downton bur my favourite is Mad men.

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  22. Oooo i love it!! That’s one of my favourite colours.

    I Love what Jess wears in New Girl but also what Chuck wears in Pushing Daisies🙂

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  23. Gorgeous colour! I think you did amazingly to do this in a fine crepe – well done for persevering with the sleeve heads. I know it’s a film, not a tv show, but I LOVED American hustle for clothing – the film had such a strong feeling of faded 70s glamour but the outfits (female particularly) were absolutely stunning! (From )

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  24. I’ll definitely pick Mad Men as my style muse too.

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  25. I haven’t watched TV for years! I am usually inspired by other sewists. I instantly fell in love with the dress when I saw it on instagram.

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  26. I love the clothes from Suits. Just gorgous!

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  27. I love the clothes from pride and prejudice- or anything Austen style!

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  28. Lovely colour on you! The dress turned out very nicely! My all timd favourite apart from Mad Men is Hart of Dixie – Lemon Breeland has the best TV wardrobe!

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  29. The recent Partners in Crime series – the character called Tuppence Beresford had an amazing wardrobe and great hats too.

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  30. Love the Joan dress and it looks amazing in that mustard shade. Love the Downton frocks and most BBC period dramas – they always seem to get it right.

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  31. Love this dress. And I’m so glad to see it in a wool crepe which is exactly what I’m about to use for my first attempt. Thinking of underlining with silk organza instead of lining. Never done that before but thinking it might give a bit more structure. Have you any experience of doing this?

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  32. For both sewing and knitwear I adored everything on Our Zoo

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  33. Your dress is so beautiful – I wish I could wear mustard, but it doesn’t look good with my ginger hair! I loved Land Girls but you can’t beat a bit of Mad Men too!

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  34. House of Elliott, or boardwalk empire. Both full of great twenties fashions.

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  35. The colour of your dress is gorgeous on you!
    I’m totally with you on the Twin Peaks clothes vibe.
    I also remember the delightfully decadent costumes from the BBC’s House of Elliott 1920’s beaded drop-waisted dresses x

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  36. I really like your dress. I’m a big fan of Libby Masters’ outfits in Masters of Sex. Randomly I also like most of the outfits in Buffy the Vampire Slayer too.

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  37. You have made a lovely dress there. I’ve just finished watching the first season of Agent Carter and I love Peggy Carter’s clothes. kayjaybooth at hotmail.com

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  38. Oh Downton Abbey for me – not that I’ll ever be able to recreate THOSE styles. Would love to try the Joan dress though🙂

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  39. Ooh that’s lush! I’ve had my eye on this pattern for a while, and they’ve finally released it🙂 I actually adored all of the costumes in the BBC adaption of Lady Chatterley’s Lover a few weeks ago. It did annoy me how she went into the woods in a gorgeous floaty white dress though – it would have been RUINED by all the mud!!! email:

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  40. Great design and colour, brilliant sewing too. Definitely Sex and the City for me, loved the variety of styles and gawping at some of the outrageous outfits !

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  41. oh! Lovely dress! I love the design and the fabric colour is gorgeous! I’d love to have a go at making this dress. Might have to order the pattern. I am loving the clothes on Downton Abeey at the moment!

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  42. Pingback: Mustard Crepe Lou Lou Dress | english girl at home

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