Akram's Ideas
Cookout Dress

Cookout Dress {Summer Sewing: Simplicity 1803}

As I mentioned the other day I wore my new cookout dress to my hubby’s family reunion. I actually made the dress a week or two before the get together and was waiting for the right time to wear it. 

Idea for the dress came to me when I scored a little under 3 yards of this adorable fabric at an antique store for about $4.00.  Right away I started calling it my cookout fabric and knew I would make a cookout dress. 

Cookout fabric
Cookout fabric

Originally I thought I might make something similar to the Modcloth’s “Too Much Fun dress in Cookout Crimson”

Too Much Fun Dress in Cookout Crimson
Too Much Fun Dress in Cookout Crimson from modcloth.com

I have an extensive pattern library now, so before I went looking for a pattern that resembled the Modcloth dress, I found that I had the Simplicity 1803 pattern which was similar but had some nice extras such as pockets, plus the option to add adorable cap sleeves. 

I started this dress by making a lining, which I have decided to do for all my sewing projects now. The lining like my Peachy dress was kind of satin material, which meant it was slippery. I actually cut the lining fabric the same day I finished the Peachy dress, so I hadn’t yet read about the tip of placing slippery fabric in between tissue paper to cut. Thus, I ended up pining my fabric corners to some cardboard so that it would move a little less as I cut. 

I had no troubles getting the lining put together. Unfortunately, by the time I got that all sewn up, I was busy with a bunch of other things it had to go on the back burner, until I could get to work on the actual dress. 

Cookout dress linig
Cookout dress lining complete with tag.

As usual when I get some momentum on a sewing project I dive right into it and forget to take any pictures. So I went from having a lining to a complete dress.

Me in my cookout dress
Me in my cookout dress

I paired the dress with my white belt for some contrast. I also dawned my $3 white pearl necklace and earrings. The bow may have been a bit much, but I had fun with it.

My cookout dress
Belt, bow, Pearls and Pockets, a prefect combination.

Another nice accessory I should mention are my shoes. I had been looking all summer for a nice pair of white pumps, with a short heel to wear with my summer dresses. Alas, I couldn’t find them anywhere. Then while I was in Kansas City the weekend before last with @TheChicGirl, we stopped by the mall in Overland park. I decided to check out the JcPenny, and low and behold they were having a shoe clearance. What are the chances that I would find the exact type of shoe I’d been looking for in my size, marked down to $10, that’s right only $10 dollars. Amazing!

Ten Dollar Shoes
My amazing $10 pumps from JcPenny.

I absolutely love  my cookout dress. I love how the cap sleeves look, how the skirt flares out. The only issue I have is that I sewed the lining a little too close to the zipper, so now it gets caught when I zip up. I guess I should go back and adjust that, but overall I love it. 

My cookout dress
I love my cookout dress

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Akram Taghavi-Burris

designer, writer, educator, tech nerd, crafter, baker, sewer and vintage collector, who Brings Creative & Crazy Ides to Life.

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