I have always loved nautical prints, especially those that are not obviously for children. When I saw the adorable tiny sailboat prints in the Set Sail America quilting line by Riley Blake Designs, I had to snag some for a dress!

I wasn't going for a sailor dress, so I looked through my patterns and found a 1950s one I've long wanted to make. It has a slender skirt, and a bodice that folds back to make a deep collar, with an insert.

It wasn't intended to open down the front, but it was super easy to simply sew the insert on one side and attach snaps to the other side so it's functional for nursing yet without the traditional buttons-down-the-front look. 

My favorite detail though are the buttoned pockets! I don't think I'll ever use the pockets as pockets, because who wants to unbutton 6 buttons to reach in their pockets? But the detail is so fun. Contrasting buttons would make it stand out more, but I wanted a more subtle look since this was a dressier style.

You could totally do the same thing without a pocket, just facing. I had a little difficulty figuring out the instructions at this point, because each side was done differently due to the left side also zippering. But after laying it out and studying it, it clicked, and was pretty easy to do after all.

There are several sailboat prints in this line, but the others were red, white and blue. I wanted to go with the blue, blue and white print so it wouldn't look strictly patriotic – though of course adding pops of red would make it perfect for 4th of July!

I triple top stitched the collar with thread that matches the light blue in the print.

This pattern went together fairly well, though I had a few hiccups in the process, mostly from me not paying attention and making a rookie error. 

I did end up being very pleased with the fit. If I do this pattern again I will be able to do a better job on the trouble spots, of course.

Obviously a sailboat print should be photographed at the ocean or some body of water. But the reality is that it will be worn on a farm, so I chose a more realistic background!

I know. Landlubbers. 

The rest of the quilting line is more geared for children, but I am so happy with this cute print, which is very vintage appropriate for adults as well. (There is a very vintage style novelty print which I'll feature soon as a baby dress too!)

I accented with blue and white, with just a touch of red because I had to pair with my vintage anchor button necklace by Timeless Trinkets. It will be fun to accessorize in the future.

Plus it's cool for the summer. The dark cotton needs no under layers.

My hair was a bit precarious this day but ended up looking better than I expected.

These vintage gloves matched perfectly with their navy blue top stitching!

So all in all I'm happy with the dress, and summer-ready now!

Photos as always by Elsie's Adventuring.