Dresses for Home

Because my sewing is not getting completed as quickly as I had planned (due to so many other things going on around here) I wanted to post something to keep you quiet while you wait ;-)

In the 1980's the dress and textile designer, a Welsh lady named Laura Ashley, said in an interview that the dresses she designed were never intended to be posh dresses; they were intended for the home. However, people loved them so much they used them for all occasions.

I see designer, April Cornell, has similar dresses; loose, casual, mostly cotton. The first dress is called "The Berry Dress" which some people have said is the perfect dress as far a comfort, fit and function. 

The prices of these dresses are very high, but it is nice to dream!

You can order a catalog on the site, which may cost a few dollars, but is nice to have at home.

I was talking to a few ladies who thought it would be a dream wardrobe to have some of these just for every day at home.

This one, of course, is a special occasion dress!

Unfortunately there are no April Cornell sewing patterns, as there were Laura Ashley sewing patterns. A few years ago the fabric stores sold April Cornell fabric, but no more.

Here are some more April Cornell dresses. Also, she sells leggings, usually cotton, that are designed to wear under the dresses.

It would be great to have a sewing pattern for these two dresses! I like the way she designed it to take on the look of a sari. Of all the choices, this is the style I would most like to buy. 

I like the April Cornell models. They look like normal people ;-)

I also like the settings and backgrounds of the home, the yard, the front porch, the garden, etc.

Very comfortable for the home, even  a big improvement on the 1950's "house dress."

Ladies have told me that to make the necklines higher, they fold a dollar store cotton crochet doily in half and safety pin it just inside the bodice. I have tried this and it looks great and provides the extra fabric you need for a higher neckline. It looks like it came with the garment.

Of course I am very fond of toile print, and would like some fabric of every color! It had not occurred to me to use this kind of print for a dress, because I have only seen it used for wallpapers, upholstery and home decor.  Toile print is a story type of pictures shown on the fabric, usually only using one color on a solid background of another color.  I have a curtain made of this black and white toile, with country scenery. 

Do a search for toile fabric prints  and click images, to see the amazing variety. They are also available as prints on dishes, trays, lampshades, blankets, and many other things, although I don't think there is any such thing as a toile print car.

Maybe this post will give you some ideas of what to wear at home if you are trying to dress cheerfully. Those of you who wear jeans might consider looking at the long, pretty blouses that are made to go with pants, because they are like dresses, and if you feel uncomfortable in dresses, you could get used to wearing the long tops over your pants.

Each year when this tree blossoms, I have great plans to make a dress to go with!  I finally got it cut out, and just hope I can get it sewn this year. Those blossoms fade so quickly.

On the way to the grocery store I stopped to take these pictures:

In the distance is the church house and the manse.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. We are caught up in the work of getting ready to host what is called a 5th Sunday Singing at church on Sunday, but I hope to post throughout the weekend anyway. We have been busy with all the other church members cleaning the meeting house, and some of them have been giving the walls a fresh coat of paint. The ladies have decorated the kitchen and banquet room, as well as the ladies room, and have done a wonderful job. We had a lot of enjoyment getting some sale items at Hobby Lobby, which is the perfect place to shop for decorating the foyer, the hallway, and the auditorium.  I hope to post pictures soon. 

Inside the manse, is one little vignette that is a perfect rest for the eyes:

That's Grandma's "vase", or rather, a part of a punch bowl set that she used as a vase.