A bit of '50s tailoring

I've got two more projects that I've been working on in the last week or so. The first is a dress from Butterick 5556, in cotton. I still have to make a belt to go with it. The one I used for the photos is from another dress and doesn't match, but it was the closest in dimension to what I'd like to make. I'm thinking about using a medium grey to define the waist a bit more and help break up the crazy, bright print.

I didn't have the dress hemmed yet when I took this, but it's two inches shorter. The colors are a bit off because of the lighting in this picture, but the fabric is medium grey, with yellow and lime circles. I really liked this pattern, but the fabric that I used had a bit of stretch from selvedge to selvedge and I had to take it in a bit more than I anticipated. With most of Butterick's reprints I cut out a size or two smaller than my measurements because of the massive amount of ease allowed in them. I didn't line the dress since it didn't really need it, and the whole thing went together really easily. I love the collar and the pockets in the side-front seams. This is definitely one I think I may use again, at least to make a blouse if not a whole dress. 

The second project is a wool suit. I figured that since I've been working on summery projects it might be nice to make something I can wear this winter when I want new clothes but don't have time to sew. The pattern I'm using is McCall's 3395 (View B but with self-fabric bands instead of grosgrain). 

Image courtesy Vintage Patterns Wiki.

I shortened the skirt my usual two inches, but ended up taking about three more inches out of it once I made it through fittings. It is definitely one of those oddly proportioned, very long, 1950s suit skirts. I also ended up taking the jacket in about one inch on either side above the waist, and taking the back darts up about 3/4 inches at the waist (tapering out from there). I converted the back-shoulder darts to ease in order to create a smoother line, and did the same with the front darts in the skirt (taking out any excess width at the side seams). I also fully lined the skirt and will be lining the jacket. I still have lots of work to do, but it's going pretty quickly so far, and hopefully I can have the whole thing finished before school starts back up.