The cuckoo clock dress
Ever since I got a cuckoo clock necklace from Classic Hardware, I’ve been obsessed with them. One day, this obsession took me on a hunt for cuckoo clock fabric. Surely, somewhere, there was fabric with cuckoo clocks on it, right? Well, the answer was yes! This fabric is from the Storybook Lane collection by Kelly Lee-Creel, which I happened upon on Etsy. And no, it’s not a complete coincidence that Rochelle just finished up a blouse with windmills on it, as we’ve definitely been chatting about these cuckoo-clocks-and-windmills novelty themes a lot.
And look, it’s a cuckoo clock necklace, hanging down on top of a centered cuckoo clock on the dress. Eep! That makes me so happy I can’t even tell you.
Gah. A sort of aqua-turquoise and cuckoo clocks?! I can hardly stand it! Of course, I used it as an excuse to pick up this adorable brooch for a few dollars on Etsy, featuring silver-tone plastic Dutch clogs and tulips. Because, well really, might as well just run with a ridiculous theme.
This dress is actually the one I mentioned in my last dress post as using the absolute exact same size bodice pieces, yet the dress is nearly an inch smaller at the waist. It’s a puzzle and I’ll have to sort it out for future versions at some point. Fortunately still very wearable, just a bit more fitted than I’d prefer. This dress features that same Emery bodice with a different neckline that I drafted, and the skirt from my vintage Simplicity 1523 pattern. (Um, wrinkles included on the back because I’d been wearing it all day and it was hot. Sorry.)
If you follow me on Instagram, you may recognize this outfit. I wore it last Tuesday on our anniversary, when we both took the day off work. As of June 1st, Illinois’s marriage equality law went into effect, and we went to officially convert our civil union to a marriage.
No ceremony or pomp and circumstance—already did that the first time—but essentially a paperwork “upgrade” at the clerk’s office, where they even back-date it to the original date of your civil union. That probably explains the extra gum-showing happy grin in the below photo. I was in a pretty good mood afterwards, when we took some photos and then walked around in the woods.
Although I did change into boots, and threw on a shrug (for bug/sun protection) for the walk by the river and on a casual wooded path beyond that.
If you read Monday’s post, you’ll know I had a couple of frustrating projects after this dress (I’m glad many of us could commiserate together on our own project woes!), so I’m not sure what I’ll be sewing next. I recently purchased some cotton twill to make two Sewaholic Hollyburn skirts, and since it’s now sinking in that I’m more of a pear than I was before losing a bit of weight, that should work out nicely for me, in theory (since Tasia’s line is geared towards pear shapes). I’ve also been loving the slightly-gathered A-line skirt on this dress, so I’m tempted to add a waistband and make a skirt out of it. I did happily just finish up a reversible vintage bolero, which I’m really proud of. Plus, it made me not as pissed at sewing, ha ha! Since I’m loving light cover ups this summer, I see more of those in my future, too.
Buuuut I also have a stack of amazing prints calling my name to be dresses. So we’ll see what I decide on!
outfit details
dress – made by me
Bakelite earrings – misc.
necklace – courtesy of Classic Hardware
Dutch shoes brooch - Beadazzle
fakelite bracelet - The Pink Bungaloo
shoes – courtesy of Sven Clogs
by the river…
vintage shrug – probably had at least 10 years!
satchel – the Leather Satchel Co.
boots – Frye
