Blue Eyelet

wearing a smoke blue eyelet shirtwaist dress with a rattan bag walking underneath elm trees

And here’s the dress I finished sewing…three months ago! I gave a sneak peek in this post, and then never got actual outfit photos. So here they are finally.

smoke blue eyelet shirtwaist dress paired with a leather belt

I started sewing this dress back in 2018, I think it was. I was going to finish it in time to wear it to the Ladies’ Garden Tea that year, but, well, obviously that didn’t happen. I threw it aside in despair for 8 years, and then pulled it out this past spring to finish it. The way I had left it actually wasn’t the best fit, so no wonder I wasn’t pleased with it. I ended up raising the waistline, cutting 8″ off the hem, (originally I had planned for it to be floor length) and adding sleeves.

smoke blue eyelet shirtwaist style dress

The button placement is wonky, and there are some areas that aren’t the best fit, which I shan’t point out to you, but it’s done! And I’ve worn it several times already! I was planning to sew a matching belt, but haven’t gotten around to it yet. I like it with the leather belt, though, so we’ll see whether I end up sewing one or not.

shirtwaist collar and sleeve details, paired with a dainty pearl necklace

wearing a blue eyelet shirtwaist dress and walking underneath an arch of trees

Paired with my new round rattan purse, and my old ankle strap sandals: I absolutely love this outfit and am so happy this dress is out of the Pile and into the wardrobe.

This round purse is the most impractical thing, it doesn’t even fit my wallet, but I have no regrets. I have always wanted one of these, and found this one on Poshmark. I just noticed it’s facing backwards in the picture below-oops!

round rattan and leather purse

And I guess that’s all I have to say about this. I had a goal this year to sew one new garment for myself. So far, I have only finished up half completed projects, and alteration/mending projects, and I don’t know whether that’s a goal I am going to actually achieve this year. Still, I have been sewing a lot more this year than in past years, and that’s the important thing.

Do you have any sewing (or creative) goals for this year? Any half finished projects sitting in the Pile that you just need to push through and finish? 

peering over shoulder standing underneath elm trees

walking under an arch of elm trees wearing a blue eyelet shirtwaist dress