1952 “Roman” Color Blocked Dress

Simplicty #4649 from 1952

I named this dress the “Roman” dress because the colorway reminded by classist’s mind of Roman legionary uniforms, steel armor and red tunics. I chose this lovely red French Bastide cotton and pewter grey twill for constrast. The constrast fabric looks khaki but the reserve is this lovely grey color. I chose Simplicity #4649 for my pattern, view 2 (left) for the skirt and view 1 (right) for the bodice.

I cut then sergered the following pieces from my main red fabric:

• the back bodice piece

• the front bodice piece

• the back skirt piece

• two side back skirt pieces

• two side front skirt pieces

• two side front yokes

• the front skirt piece

I cut then sergered the following pieces from the constrasting grey fabric:

• back facing (top left)

• back yoke (bottom left)

• two front facings (top right)

• two front yokes (middle right)

• two pocket facings (bottom right)

I then interacfed the back facing and the front facings until a mark indicated on the pattern. The interfacing on the front facings does not extend all the way to the end of the piece because it would make the piece (which will later become the center front tie bow) too stiff.

The first step in assembly was to sew the four darts of the front bodice piece and the two darts of the back bodice piece.

I then pinned and sewed the front yokes to the front bodice piece. The front yokes were sewn stopiing at about 1/4” away on either side of the center front point. This gap leaves space for the bow (with the front yokes create) to exisit in the future.

I then pinned and sewed the back yoke to the back bodice piece. I then pinned and sewed the shoulder seams as well.

I then pinned and sewed the back facings to the front facings pieces.

I then pinned and sewed the back and front facings to back and front yokes. The front facings and yokes were also attached at the bottom of the piece, creating a tube. Once the facings were attached I turned the front facing “ties” outward.

I then tacked the facings down at the shoulder seam.

I then pinned, sewed, and ironed open the side seams. I left a gap at the left side seam to insert the zipper later on.

I then hemed the sleeves by 5/8” by hand.

Now that the bodice was done I moved onto the skirt. I pinned and sewed the pocket facings to the side front skirt pieces.

I then clipped that seam turned it inside out and ironed the pocket flap downards towards the hem of the skirt.

I then attached the side front yoke to the pocket facings. I then ironed the pocket facings upwards matching notches on the pocket facings with notches on the side front yokes.

I then pinned, sewed, and ironed open the front skirt piece to the side front skirt pieces, catching the pockets pieces in the seam.

I then pinned, sewed, and ironed open the seam of the back skirt piece and side back pieces.

I then pinned, sewed, and ironed open the side seams of the skirt. I left open the top of the left side seam to install the zipper later on.

I then pinned and sewed the bodice to the skirt, matching notches.

I then installed the zipper. I basted together the side seam and placed the teeth of the zipper right on top of the seam and sewed the zipper from the inside using a zipper foot. I then seam ripped my basting stitches and had myself a working zipper.

I then cut a 3” wide 38” long piece of my constrasing fabric to make a belt. I ironed the piece in half and sewed them right sides together into a tube, then turned it right side out. I then cut a piece of interfacing 3/4” wide and inserted in into the fabric tube. I cut and handsewed a little fabric loop and ran the belt through it. Finally, I ran the belt through a buckle and sewed it together.

I then marked the hem on 1.5” and ironed the hem towards that line. I pinned it in place then sewed it by hand.

The final step was to tie the front yokes pieces into a bow!