Over at Patterns for Pirates, we’ve been doing a weekly Flash Friday…where an oldie-but-goodie pattern gets featured at a discount (for 24-hours only.) It’s been so fun to give each of the patterns a little love, and this week I decided to up the ante by doing some sewing for it too!

I made the So Classic Sundress during testing (back in 2018!!) but I’m not even sure if I took final photos of it for listings. I did get some beach pictures with the boys during our family vacay though…if that counts! It’s a shame that I haven’t made more of these dresses, because it seriously is SO CUTE and SO my vibe! I love a good fitted-at-the-waist dress. And bonus points that this pattern is for woven fabrics, but doesn’t require a zipper! So the fit is timeless and the fitting of it is simple!

Here are some of the call-out worthy features of the pattern:

• “Faux shirred” back bodice…done with elastic for comfort and ease of wearing + fit
• Fabulous sweetheart neckline
• Drafted for woven (non-stretch) fabrics, so your choices are broad
• Timeless, yet retro, style
• Really freaking adorable to wear

I used just a basic quilting cotton from JoAnn. Though it’s not necessarily what I would recommend for this pattern (because the skirt is very full and therefore the gathers poof at my waistline with such a stiff fabric), I couldn’t help myself. I saw this print last year while I was out and bought it, with the full intent of making this exact dress with it.

How amazing is this fabric print? It screams 80’s to me. Like, I could totally see Eleven from Stranger Things wearing it in an episode next season. Couldn’t you?

I paired it with a cropped All Buttoned Up cardigan (also a P4P pattern), using some scraps I had left over from a past Fabric for Pirates shipment. It was a perfect pairing, if you ask me. Plus, it’s colder than ever outside right now…totally not dress + sleeveless weather. I could barely handle getting these pictures indoors, much less brave the outside. So I needed my layering.

But of course, here are some photos without the top layer.

Isn’t the back bodice so clever? It’s like shirring without having to do the actual shirring. I didn’t even have the correct width elastic, much less the right amount of it, so I went off-pattern a bit and winged it with my elastic casing method. I think I made a total of 7 casings but only had enough elastic to fill 4 of them. It still worked! And I love the fit and feel of it!.

I think this sew of mine is an absolute win. I cannot wait for the weather to start behaving so I can wear it all spring + summer long.

Fabric: Quilting Cotton from JoAnn
Pattern: So Classic Sundress + All Buttoned Up by Patterns for Pirates

OH. ALSO.

I had ChatGPT help me write a poem about the So Classic Sundress and I turned it into a dorky Reel. You’re welcome. I think.