Hi guys! I’m back again to share a new make. After making the Cinch It dress (and loving how it was both flattering and easy to fit) I decided to make another Gertie creation – the Popover Dress. This one can be found in the book Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses. This happened to be the only one of Gertie’s books that I didn’t yet have so I ordered it on Amazon and got it lickety-split.

I really loved her pink gingham version in the book with the shirring at the waist so I pretty much copied that look. I found this nice 100% cotton gingham by Robert Kaufman on Fabric.com- I love that it’s soft but somewhat substantial and not super sheer like some gingham fabrics can be – no worries about it being see-through! I made sure to cut it out carefully so I could make sure the gingham matched up at the center seams. I also matched up each square as I pinned. It’s kind of a pain, but so satisfying when it all comes together!

I decided I wanted to do some kind of unique pockets on this dress. I searched the Vintage Patterns Wiki for ideas and eventually found this image. I just loved the little loop -it reminds me of Hostess cupcakes. I used some navy blue middy braid from my stash for the trim. I also decide to add some to the shoulder bows to kind of tie it together. It was a little tricky to get the middy braid to curve so much- I hand basted it down, steamed it quite a bit and then machine stitched it down on both edges and that worked pretty well. I was thinking about using bias tape instead but I really liked how thin the middy braid is, so I’m glad I could make it work.

I had to adjust the shirring quite a bit from where it was marked on the pattern. I don’t know if it’s due to my cup size or if bust is just situated lower, but I’m glad I checked the placement before putting the shirring in. You can see in the picture below where the line was and where I actually placed the shirring. I’d be curious to know how many people find that it fits as-is and how many people need to adjust it down.

Overall, it was a fairly quick and easy make and mercifully easy to fit (there’s nothing worse than a project where you’re struggling to get the fit right!). The most tedious part was cutting it out and matching the gingham, and also waiting for it to hang for at least 24 hours before marking the hem (especially when you’re almost done and just want to finally wear the dang thing!). I would definitely make it again and I think you could do a lot of fun things with different trims and such.

Pattern: The Popover Dress from Gertie Sews Jiffy Dresses

Fabrics: Kaufman 1 Inch Carolina Gingham in Fog

Trims/Notions: Navy blue middy braid for trim, elastic thread for shirring

(you can find these online, or at antique/thrift shops)

Size: 10

Modifications: Changed position of shirring, changed shape of pockets and added trim to pockets and shoulder bows

Skill Level: Beginner/Intermediate

Thanks for stopping by!