Let's Be Friends! A 1937 Peplum Dress
“Let’s Be Friends!” is inspired by a 1937 Simplicity sewing pattern for an elegant and stylish one piece dress.
The design features a peplum: a short, flared ruffle attached to the waistline creating an overskirt effect. Variations of the peplum can be seen in many fashion eras, but the 1930s version is short and simple, not detracting from the long slim silhouette favoured in that decade. The puffed sleeves of “Let’s Be Friends!” are quite full, reflecting the emphasis in the 1930s on wide shoulders. The skirt is a tailored A-line style, for the desired slim silhouette below the waist. A belt fastened with a slide buckle finishes the waistline with a jaunty flourish.
The pattern offers the option of leaving off the peplum and applying lace accents. The lace embellishes the Peter Pan collar and is also used in an interesting vertical application on the sleeves.
The pattern introduction touches on 1937’s palette of popular colours to help you select fabrics that are faithful to the period.
Techniques included in the pattern: making a Peter Pan collar, sewing a princess seam, setting a puffed sleeve, adding a peplum to a waistline, hemming a curved hemline, and adding a facing to a dress.
This pattern was developed for the confident beginner doll sewist and assumes that you are familiar with common sewing terms and techniques.
This PDF sewing pattern, by Eighteen Cotton Lane, is designed to fit popular 18" dolls such as those shown in the photos.
Suggested Fabrics: Light to medium weight cotton, cotton blends, silk, rayon.
Supplies Needed:
• ½ yard of 44” wide fabric for the main dress fabric. Scrap of fabric for the contrasting collar and belt.
• Small piece of lightweight fusible interfacing.
• Six snap sets OR six ¼”- 3/8” buttons OR 9 inches of soft ¼” hook and loop tape for dress back closure.
• Belt buckle: 1 slider buckle with a 3/8”- ½” opening.
• Four to six ¼” – 3/8” buttons for front bodice embellishment.
Lace (View 2):
• FOR SLEEVES: 1 yard of ½” – ¾” wide flat lace with finished (decorative) edges on both sides for ruched application on sleeves.
• FOR COLLAR: 1 yard of ½” – ¾” wide flat lace with finished (decorative) edge on one side for collar.
Skill Level: Confident Beginner
What You Get: One 37 page sewing pattern that you digitally download as a PDF file so you can start your project immediately! The PDF sewing pattern provides full color step-by-step instructions and full size pattern pieces. A PDF reader is required to view and print the files (example: Adobe Reader or Preview for MAC). The download link is received immediately after the transaction is complete. Print copies are NOT available.
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Pixie Faire and the designers featured are not affiliated with doll brands pictured. No endorsement is implied. Dolls are used to show the fit of the designed garments. The product and photography shown in this listing are original content, copyright of the pattern designer.
