My fourth time making this negligee pattern was for another maternity friendly house dress. It was not one of those perfect projects, but was a near fail that I managed to rescue – thankfully!

Tie front dresses are very useful for maternity, but they were also a common fashion element for just regular wear in the late '30s and early '40s, so my intention was to make a dress that would work for both. I also wanted to pair this fabric with a white yoke, and the only pattern I had that combined those elements was the negligee pattern I've made before. So out it came again.

All went well until the first wearing. Despite the fact that I've made this pattern dress length instead of floor length twice before, somehow I managed to cut it too short when cutting it out this time!

My tropical print version I wore quite a bit after my last pregnancy, but the front panels have too much fabric in them and gather too bunchily around the waist for my taste (especially in a stiffer cotton), so I decided to take a few inches out of the front panels of this one. 

Well, I didn't realize that while it does cut down on extra fabric at the waist, it also cuts down on the skirt width. So the first time I wore it, I realized there were issues. The skirt pulled and gaped badly between the buttons when I sat down, and it was definitely too short. 

But I loved this fabric too much to call it a failure! The button gaping problem was easily fixed by top stitching the opening together from the waist down, but my only option to lengthen it was to add a piece of fabric at the bottom. How to do that without making it look obviously patched together?

The answer was a strip of narrow white lace sandwiched between the layers, which I top stitched together. I was very relieved to find that the lace makes it look like it was intended to be there, and actually ties in the white yoke and buttons very well! Definitely a close call, but with those problems fixed I can wear it happily now. The only fit issue that remains is that the yoke won't lay flat in the front – ah, well. 

Because this is a fun fabric and a house dress, I decided to play around a bit more with decoration than I normally do. This was a perfect way to use up some random cute tiny vintage buttons that I otherwise probably wouldn't have a use for, only having a few of them. I really liked how it turned out, along with the interlaced tiny red rickrack.

The yoke took a bit of extra time as a result, but the rest of the pattern is super easy and went together very quickly. I hardly needed to look at the instructions since I've made it so often and it's simple anyway.

I used sleeves from another pattern from the era, just to change things up a bit. I like the ones that puff at the top and are dart fitted around the arm. It's a nice change from the straight sleeves the pattern calls for.

Can we all take a moment to cry about the fact that JoAnn discontinued their 1930s print collection?? How cute is this fabric? Though to be honest, I probably wouldn't have gotten any if it hadn't been marked down so far on clearance. I just wish I'd gotten more! I love how cheery it is.

I have plenty of room in the front, no matter how large I get, and I'm reasonably certain that when my waist comes back, I can cinch it in with the tie belt (handy for fluctuating sizes afterwards too) and the dress will fit well without looking maternity. At any rate, it makes a cheerful, comfortable house dress, and I'm sure will get a lot of wear this summer.

This project was a good reminder that even after years of experience, sewing projects can still throw you a curve ball once in a while. For it to be such a simple one, instead of a complex pattern, is all the more reason to keep humble. 🙂