This project has been a long, long time in the making. I got this fabric ages ago, quickly paired it with this pattern, and then it sat in my drawer for years before I finally made it real this summer.

I'm glad I did. While the shirting was very lightweight and would probably have been more suitable for a dress with gathers or ruffles, by flatlining the jacket I made it behave very well. 

I just love the pleats in the front – so flattering! It was not difficult to make, either. My biggest challenge was sizing it up from a size 12 pattern. 

I actually went overboard, adding too much fabric, so had to do double darts in the back instead of single ones to use up the extra fabric. But I like how the double darts look, so that worked out in the end.

I used a metal zipper to close the skirt, and put white buttons on the jacket. Very simple but sweet, and versatile too since I can mix and match with other pieces in my wardrobe.

The cherry red and white pinstripe is so fine that at a distance it almost looks pink! But it really is a nice bright red.

Actually, I have no idea how much of this fabric I originally bought, but after cutting out this outfit I still easily have enough for another dress. Might have to go for something more frilly next time since the fabric is so light.

It would go with a lot of different colors for shoes and accessories. Here I paired it with a simple brown 1940s hat and my Peggy spectators, for more of a summer suit, church or town look.

However, I can also dress it down to more of a 2 piece dress style just by switching out the hat for a hair tie, adding a colorful vintage button bracelet from Timeless Trinkets, and wearing more casual shoes.

These are reproduction beauties from Miss L Fire that I found on eBay last year for a very nice price. I love how they look, but wasn't sure how much I'd wear them or how comfortable they would be. Now that summer has arrived, I'm finding more and more things to pair them with so I'm glad I bought them!

The detail is beautiful – love the embroidery and how very accurate they look (with a few minor quibbles). They would suit 1930s outfits as well.

I like how easy this is to wear – just put it on and go, with no fussing over a belt, collar, or any other details. I would definitely make this pattern again! Ideally, however, it would be nice to find a copy in a larger size so I don't have to size it up so much.

And it's been on my sewing queue so long, I can hardly believe I finally have it in my closet instead of in my fabric drawer!

After the first wearing I have a few things I need to tweak, like adding a snap at the bottom of the jacket to keep the yoke together and move the buttons over a bit, but I am very happy with the outfit overall. I especially appreciate how accurate it looks. I love when there is a happy combination of pattern, fabric, and fit, so I can feel like I've just stepped out of the era!