Sew Weekly Challenge: To go with a hat

The challenge this week over at Sew Weekly, was:
"So for the first time at The Sew Weekly, we're letting an accessory dictate our outfits and celebrating the joys of hats! Next week's challenge is all about creating a dress to go with a particularly charming hat. "
I call mine South Pacific. Or Maybe Royal Wedding. Those are what I had the telly on to watch while I cut or hemmed. I find having the telly on rather entertaining while sewing actually. And I have been known to knit and draw in front of it too ;)

The Pattern was McCalls 4662, a vintage 1940's pattern that was super easy to make, and fabulous to do. I wouldn't say the instructions were very clear, but a little fiddling around enlightened you somewhat.

I like this picture of me better than the other front picture, but I hate the background. But I wanted to be near the Jacobite Rose which was blooming :)

The fabric was a 100% cotton from Joann's, with birds and butterflies all over it. I fell in love with it, and paid $28 for 4 1/2 yards- JUST enough to make this pleated dress.

I'm smelling the Jacobite Rose here- very nice!

The hat was something I got many years ago at Colonial Williamsburg- and it was untrimmed when I bought it. I have trimmed it a couple of times before, but this time, I too some bias binding and sewed it to the brim edge of the hat. Then I took a white satin ribbon and wound it around the hat before tying it in a bow. I clipped a butterfly I picked up from Michaels for $1 to it, because I thought it made it look much more amazing. Then I turned the hat around to wear them both (the bow and butterfly) at the front, as many of the 40's hats seemed to be that way.

Back view

Not being in possession of a hat pin, I added a small amount of elastic cording to hold it onto my head- a good thing because the wind likes to blow my hats off :)

A much nicer background :)

Here's the hat...

And the I wore the hat tipped slightly to the side- flat it looks colonial, tipped it looks much more 40's :)