I’m so excited to be participating in this year’s May Giveaway Day hosted by the wonderful shop, blog, and forum: Sew, Mama, Sew!
While I’ve hosted some fun giveaways in the past (1 and 2), I think this one takes the cake!!!
I’m giving away a handmade, vintage dress decorated in layers of lace, chiffon, and tulle accented with a silver cummerbund.
As I was cleaning out my closet a few weeks back, I decided it was time to relinquish a very special dress of mine. This was the dress I wore to my wedding shower, and it means so much to me. It’s the perfect shade of Tiffany-blue (my favorite color) and, in all actuality, marks the last time that I would have a special occasion to wear something as fun, frilly, and feminine.
I really think this is too special of a dress to just sit in the back of my closet for the next 20 years. So while I still have a hard time letting this go, I feel it deserves a better home where it can get out and have some fun and as well as going to someone special.
Dress Sizing Specs:
- Bust: 34″-36″
- Waist: Up to a 29″ max (trust me!) Someone with a 28″ or 28.5″ waist would be most comfortable in this. But if you didn’t need to sit, this dress could maybe fit up to a 29.5″ waist size.
- Hips: Free Sweep, since this does have a full skirt
- Total Length: 48″
Here’s some more pictures for you gals to drool over…
Ruffle Detail on Bodice:
Back View:
Side View:
The insides:
This is the interior of the bodice. It has 4 boning channels, 2 at the bust seams and 2 in the back, as seen above in white. It’s complete with a classic vintage, metal zipper in a baby-blue. As you can see in the image above, I had the straps shortened since I am short-waisted. But you can lengthen them again as needed, since they weren’t cut.
Hem Detail:
The above image shows all of the layers to the dress: There is a silver, silky lining topped by a layer of aqua mesh, which is then topped by the sheer ruffle layer.
So I bet you’re wondering how you can to win this 1950’s handmade, aqua prom dress for your very own…
Since I want this dress to go to someone special, please let me know in the comments section what you love about this dress and why you think it should be your very own.
Obviously, it would be a bonus if you tweeted or linked to my giveaway on facebook or became follower of zilredloh; but it’s not necessary for you to win. I primarily want it to go to a happy home.
Comments will close at midnight one week from today, and I’ll announce the winner on May 26th, 2011.
Update: Sorry ladies, I misread the rules and the giveaway closes tomorrow May 25th at Midnight.
Good Luck!!! And be sure to check out all of the other fun giveaways over at Sew, Mama, Sew!
Update: I just checked out Sew Mama’s blog and there is TONS & TONS of stuff being given away in each of these three categories: Handcrafted Items, Sewing + Knitting Supplies/Materials, and Handcrafted Item(s) + Supplies/Materials.
P.S. This dress was purchased on etsy from Timeless Vixen Vintage, and is the source of most of the lovely images. I wish I shared her photography talent!!
P.P.S. If you have any additional questions about sizing, feel free to contact me by clicking the envelope at the top of the page or better yet just click here. :)
In: Sewing
You have me swooning…I love this dress its so stunning! I remember one of my Barbie dolls had a dress like this full skirted and frilly…I was hoping then that I could get such a dress one day!
Its really hard to find something this well made these days with the boning and all…and this dress would fit me great even with all the alterations because I’m short waisted too…Too bad I don’t have a twitter or Fb account or would be happy to link there…
P.s. I like your blog…so I’m sticking around!
Thanks for the opportunity to win this gorgeous dress!
I absolutely love this dress. I’m entering because I would love to wear this dress weekly when it’s time to start having fun tea parties with my daughters! I don’t do it often enough now – but when it’s time for the first really dressy surprise tea party – I’d love to have a dress to wear to it, that they will always remember! Tea parties with mommy in her blue ruffle dress!
I too love the tiffany blue color! That and green are my two favorite colors (ok and pink – i had 2 girls)…so I would thoroughly enjoy wearing it! (with a little white cardigan sweater!).
This must be very hard to part with. If I am the only person to comment…I won’t mind if you change your mind! I will completely understand – but it absolutely adorable and gorgeous!
Thanks! – Kerry
What a stunning dress! It makes me wish people dressed up like this more often. I would love to see you post a picture of you in the dress.
Thanks for your blog, I really enjoy reading it.
This dress is so adorable – I’d wear it on special occasions, or give this to someone lovely that I know is still in high school and would wear this for her prom :)
rachaelroyce [at] gmail [dot] com :)
thanks!
wonderful dress and great colors, I know my daughter would love this and she has several events through the year she wouls be able to wear this for
texhelena(at)aol(dot)com
This is an amazingly stunning dress!
I am not sure it would fit me – however, it would fit my best friend, and she loves vintage clothing. It would be worn to parties and fancy events, and loved dearly.
needlegrrl at hmail
This dress is amazing. I can’t believe that you’re willing to part with it. I’d love to win it, because it’s my favorite color (50’s teal), and I love everything about the 50’s. It’s like a piece of art.
limor477 at aol dot com
Holy crap, that might be the best vintage prom dress I’ve ever seen, and in my measurements!! That never happens. Every gorgeous dress I find has a 24″ waist. I would LOVE to wear this dress to a wedding I have coming up this summer. Wow!
Hi Liz – lawks, that’s a beautiful dress. There is something extra-special about a handmade dress, especially vintage. I wonder who made it, and what special occasion they made it for. Was it made by a proud mother? Was it slaved over for weeks by a girl going to her prom? Did her date arrive dressed in a tux with the gift of a beautiful corsage? Was this her one-and-only dressy dress?
It’s so fantastic I’d want to to my housework in it! (but I wouldn’t) :)
Thankyou for such a wonderful giveaway, whoever wins it is very lucky.
I love this dress! Its gorgeous. I’m graduating in three weeks and I have been searching for the perfect dress for my 50s themed grad party-this would be perfect!! You’re so generous..best giveaway I’ve seen! Thanks!
Oh, this is utterly gorgeous! I think I’d want to wear it all the time, just to feel pretty. It looks so well made, just beautiful craftsmanship, something you don’t see much of these days without taking out a second mortgage for.
I have a couple weddings coming up, could I be so lucky to show up in this? :D
First of all, I nearly fell off my chair when I saw what you are giving away. It would fulfill all my Betty Crocker/Mad Men fantasies. I am a real lover of vintage and history buff. Blue’s my fave color too. Just gorgeous! I could share this with my same sized teenager if I win! We both perform (music) and are always looking for something “stand out” to dress up in.
cynsaw2(at)yahoo(dot)ca
Wow, that is an amazing dress, absolutely gorgeous!
cwonitoy(at)shaw(dot)ca
I absolutely adore this dress, although I’m not sure I’d fill it out. :( Still, I’d wear it as often as I could.
are you kidding me?! You are giving this dress away, that is not only absolutely flipping awesome but also my size?!!
This is possibly the best give away ever!
I’d have to plan a most special evening out just so I could wear this beauty, dancing is mandatory cause the dress needs to swirl Men will be at my feet {of course!} how could they not adore me in a pretty dress like that lol!
I hope your dress finds the most deserving new home :-)
I think my heart just skipped a beat! That is so unbelievable gorgeous. Are you sure that you can truly part with a dress that stunning and one that has such an important meaning behind it? If you truly can bear to part with it…know that I would love her and treat her real good. She will have pride of place in my sewing room and she will be worn with admiration and joy. I want to be the belle of the ball…even if that means I will be walking the streets of a tiny little town in Germany.
Oh
My
God
Seriously. The most perfect giveaway ever! It is my favorite color from my favorite fashion time period…and lace galore! This is so pretty that I might just hang it on the wall in my workspace if I win {and then squeeze myself into it once all the weight is off}.
Seriously stunning and generous. Thanks so much for the chance!
This dress is beautiful! My sister is getting married this summer and I’m her maid of honor. She told me to pick out my own dress, something I’d be proud to wear. I’d be honored to wear this dress to her wedding. I know it would look lovely next to her dress and it wouldn’t clash with the other bridesmaids. I’d have to lose a few pounds, which I plan on doing anyway but it would just motivate me knowing what a beautiful dress I have waiting for me! I’d be sure to pass it along to someone else once I was done. Keep with the good tradition!
Wow! That dress is amazing. I just found your blog this morning and I am so glad I did so I could enter this giveaway.
I am getting married in November and have been looking for the perfect vintage party dress to wear to my hen’s party/kitchen tea that my sister is organising. This would be absolutely perfect!!! The colour, the ruffles, the style, what’s not to love!
Oh. my. God. That dress is GORGEOUS. And I think it would fit me fairly PERFECTLY! You are so very generous for giving it away. I mean…gah! It’s so damn gorgeous! I love the dress because of the tulle! It’s such a fabulous color! I need a really interesting dress to go with my generally badass wardrobe and I love wearing really girly dresses just to offset it! Ah! Beautiful.
What a special dress! I would be soo happy to win this dress but I would also feel sad that you will be parting with it. I promise to take treat it well and take care of it. I would love to wear this out for the special occasions :D
As much as I love the dress, I don’t want the dress for me, I want it for my cousin, because she’s the sweetest thing ever, all cute and petit, and looks absolutely AMAZING in all things vintage. She has charity events for the cat shelter she volunteers at (multiple days a week) that this dress would be perfect for. Not to mention that she’s always sending me links for dresses on the Vixon that she’s in love with, so to have one of her very own would make her beyond happy.
Swoon!! I am not currently a 28 inch waist, but I used to be not too long ago. I am on my way back down (I am at 30 right now), so this dress would be the perfect motivation to get those last few inches off. I recently had a major life change, after working in a ho-hum job for 4 years, I decided that my family and my son deserved better, so I quit my job to be able to home-school my son! This was not an easy step at all, since my income is a big contributor to the house, but we have saved enough to make this work for about 18 months and then we have a few plans in place to try and make it work even beyond that. Things will be tight for us financially, but the joy on my son’s face when I told him he could stay home for 3rd grade, was worth every sacrifice we had to make. As a gift to us to mark this wonderful life change, we booked a trip to Disney for September (we have been saving for the trip for a while, and with their free dining plan offer, we just couldn’t pass it up). This is my son’s and my first time there, so we are beyond excited to be going. I would love to be able to bring this beautiful dress with me to wear at a special Disney dinner. I have always loved vintage style dresses, but I have never found just the right one yet. This dress would be the perfect addition to our celebratory trip for the start of our new life adventure. I know so many people are deserving of your amazingly kind offer, but I am thankful just for your consideration.
Thank you,
Rachel
Wow, great dress!! Your excellent taste has piqued my interest to poke around here some more.
Great giveaway
lisa [dot] oct2009 [at] gmail [dot] com
No Way!!!! I fell out of my chair at the first sight of this dress. It is gorgeous, amazing, perfect, stunning… I could go on and on. My size to boot. I am dreaming of taking photos of my sister in this dress. It suits her personality so much. We would have to share this beauty. You can see her here… http://sascharomeo.blogspot.com/2011/01/indulgent.html. I am going to keep my fingers crossed that the Giveaway Gods are feeling my mojo.
That dress is amazing. I would want to give it to my very good friend who takes her dress up seriously. She would probably throw a party just so she could showcase the dress. She would actually become a different persona and stay in character the entire time. She’s that kind of woman. (it’s good to have a video camera when she’s on a roll).
Thanks for this awesome and unique giveaway!
First, a gorgeous dress and what a treasure you are sharing!
Second, I’m long past being able to wear something like this but I know my daughter (soon to be 15) will go crazy over this as a special occasion dress. It will compliment her eyes and coloring too so if I win, you can be sure it’s going to her for a good second life.
I love this dress, it is so beautiful. You’re a better woman than I am I could never part with it. If I won this dress it would be my next goal for my weightloss, I’ve lost over 40 lbs and that would be the biggest motivator for me. I would love it, and pet it, and perhaps open my wardrobe every night just to lay eyes on its vintage beauty. Thanks again for the giveaway!
Hi Liz,
I am sad you are parting with it. Are you sure? I say this because years ago, we moved to our farm house where I have little closet space. So, one day I gave my wedding gown away. Last year I grieved for it and realized I had nothing formal in my closet. As I thought about this, I felt that life is so short and sometimes you have to make your own “formal” occasions. So I started a new tradition for my family this past year. Every New Year’s Eve we dance, eat shrimp and play games. This past year I decided to dress up for my family. I danced all night in my red ball gown with my husband and my two boys. Sure it was a bit crazy, but they will always remember when Mama danced with them in her gown. I intend to do this forever. Shortly after that night, I washed my gown and founded a seam had torn, leaving it unrepairable. Just last week, I started looking for a ball gown for our family dance parties. I love this gown, it would be perfect. It would be a great fit. I did a post on my blog about our family times if you would like to check it out! http://vintagegirl68.blogspot.com/search?updated-max=2011-01-03T07%3A35%3A00-05%3A00&max-results=7 Thanks so much!
Where to begin, this dress is truly amazing. I agree with the person before me…are you sure? The colours, flow, details are all really stunning. I don’t know what you are looking for in a comment to get a winner but know that I would LOVE this dress. I don’t have much opportunity, being a SAHM of two young kids, to wear it out but I would whenever I had a chance (halloween, weddings, really formal playdates..haha) Thank you so much for the opportunity to win
libbystiles(at)hotmail(dot)com
I would love to win this dress for my younger sister. I think should would love it. She’s a single mom who just graduated as a x-tray tech last week. She would love this vintage dress!
The dress is amazing and would fit me. I love the up sweep of the ruffles on the bodice. The layers and layers of beautiful blue and white. Don’t take this the wrong way but the colors remind me of the old snowflake pyrex cookware. The color is so mid-century and wonderful. What a treasure this must have been to the girl this was for when it was first made or bought. It’s beautiful and I hope whomever it eventually goes to loves it as much as you do. Thanks for the chance.
Oh wow! How gorgeous! I’ve always loved the style of the 1950s. If I won this dress, I would definitely have to throw a party, so that I could wear it! I’m a recent college graduate, who is hoping and praying to get a teaching job in the fall! I can’t wait to be a teacher, but sadly, there are so many budget cuts going on in Texas that I’m not sure if next year will be my year or not. I recently started a blog and have been working on honing my sewing skills, so that I can start a handmade shop if need be.
Thanks so much for giving away something that means so much to you! I know the lucky winner will be so happy and thankful!
I still have the dress I wore to my wedding shower too :). Unfortunately I lost a lot of weight shortly after and have not been able to wear or alter it. If I do win this dress I will remember your special day and mine-
The aqua – the ruffles – the sash — it is perfection in a prom dress! I’d love to have my daughter wear this to her prom! Fabulous!!! And so very generous of you to give away!
What an amazing giveaway! :) I would win this for my sister. She just graduated and is trying to find a job. This could cheer her up for sure!
OMG this is such a beautiful dress. I would love to win this for my niece. She is tiny and she will be a junior next year and she would love this for Prom. She has her own style and she has such a sweet soul. My sis is a single mom with 3 kids, the 2 boys both have autism and Chelsea has the back seat a lot but she never complains and I know my sis can’t afford a lot so this would sure be a blessing to them both.
I haven’t been dressing up since, when I don’t know? Senior prom? I mean lately I just put on a little black dress and called it dressed up. But nothing this pretty ever stumbled upon my wardrobe, ever again. It looks like a mermaid princess!
My daughter would adore this, and it would fit her like a glove! Gorgeous!
Beautifully made dress!
I would love to actually give this to my niece for her prom!
Wouldn’t that be something special?
Thanks!
If you headover to my blog you will see I am in love with all things vintage. This is a FABULOUS dress – indeed worthy of being out and about in the world. The color is fabulous and all those ruffles are to die for!
I’m in love! What a fantastic dress! It is absolutely perfect. I love the color… and the ruffles… and the waistband… an the straps! It’s the most adorable dress ever!!
I have a couple weddings to go to this summer and would love to have such a special dress to wear to them!
Wow. When I saw this dress I had to just sit for a second and take it all in. It is truly stunning! I would love to win this dress because I am i the process of losing weight and this dress would surely keep me motivated to do so! Thanks for the giveaway!
PS I am following you now. I found you through sew retro ;) I am in Milwaukee, so perhaps we could set up a blog vintage shopping date someday
I love everything about this dress (especially that it’s my size, haha!), but I especially enjoy how you really notice where some of our modern designers get their inspiration. Two years ago I visited a Betsey Johnson store, and I fell in love with a ruffle-y blue lace confection that looked a lot like this.
I would love to wear this dress, but I am also dying to inspect the inside of it – to get a better idea of how it’s finished and structured.
what a pretty dress!! i love the teal color & the girly ruffles. i’d like to say that i would save this dress for my eventual wedding day, but i honestly don’t see myself getting married… ever. but if i did get married, it would be in that dress!
i would wear this dress to go out with a group of vintage-loving friends; we’d get drinks at the hermitage hotel in nashville & then go honky tonkin’ aftewards :) all in fancy dresses. and then i would throw a zillion dinner parties & wear the dress to every single one of them!
Gorgeous, gorgeous dress and one that would actually fit me! Usually when I see cute retro dresses like this, the waist size is an impossible 24. (Seriously folks, I think I was in 5th grade when I had a 24″ waist!). Stellar dress; would LOVE to copy – thanks for posting!
OMG! I fell in LOVE! My husband always chaperons the Spring formal at his school and I always beg him to let me come all dressed up. He thinks it’s silly but we didn’t go to school together and I would love to go to prom with him. Hehehehe, prom again at 29 but I can dream!
I would love to win this, it is beautiful and would be such a show stopper for the weddings that I have to go to!
This would make the perfect wedding dress for my own wedding…whenever that might be!
Dreamy!
I picture myself already on a summer prom in this beautiful dress, lovely!!
What a beautiful dress, I wore a prom dress to my mothers wedding. Why aren’t more people I know getting married?
Ps. I forget to say why I should win this dress, the only think I can think of it would look great with my skintone, there are alot of females in my family so it will get worn and I would love to have this style of 50s prom dress.
I am short, and I really like that you have shortened the straps. I also fit into it, which helps. Being petite, people often thell me I will be overhelmed by details. I think they are wrong, (of course, this dress would look best on it’s own without many accessories) and it’s just a matter of radiance. If I won this dress, I think I will be so glad that I would be radiancing.
I live in Sweden, and frankly not many giveaways are open to me. However,I would gladly pay the shipping, as I know it can come up to high costs.
There’s so much details in this dress (I love the back, straps and that the lining is so beautiful – this will go to my inspiration folder), and I love that someone has loved it enough to make it so. I promise I will love it as much.
ps. I wouldn’t wear this to a wedding like many of you (maybe if it was my own, however). A wedding is not a place to outshine a bride, and I think any bride would be very jealous. ;)
I love this dress! I just got engaged and it would be a beautiful dress for the engagement party!
IT’S MY SIZE!!! :D So gorgeous!!!
oh my! i LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! The colour if great, the ruffles….i love vintage!!
Not only is this an incredibly generous and beautiful give-away prize (thank you!!!), I have images of that very dress saved on my computer, along with a lot of Timeless Vixen’s other amazing frocks, I recognised it straight away! Its in my “inspirational/frocks I’d love to own” folder (if I ever get married, her shop is the first place I’ll visit for a dress)!
In fact I have been making a dress inspired by a couple of her listings and it has given me a real headache, as well as taken up weeks of my time to get right and still remains unfinished (about to unpick the bodice again which took 10 hours to construct last time). I would regard a dress like this as a special gift for persevering instead of throwing my dress in the UFO pile never to see light of day. I dislike mine so much now I have been considering giving it away.
I wish I had heard of the SMS mass-giveaway earlier, I’ve been planning one for ages, it would have given me the boot I needed to get on with finding the prizes (I am an excellent procrastinator!). Bit late now but I must prioritise doing it.
this is seriously gorgeous! and i think it would actually fit me since the hip area is open :)
i can not get over the ruffles and lace and oh my! but the color of it is my favorite part i think, that blue is just so pretty. i don’t know if i have anywhere special enough to wear this dress to, but believe me, if i win i will find somewhere! i love how absolutely girly and just special this dress is, i bet you looked stunning. this is definately the kind of dress that can be passed down and loved for a very long time. if i ever got married i would absolutely save this dress for a special day like you did. i can not believe you are willing to part with this!
It has to be a very special vintage or off-the-rack dress for me to wear considering my pledge to really only wear clothing I’ve made myself. I love this dress and would love to have an opportunity to be its owner!
One my favorite color is also Tiffany Blue!! I’ve never owned such a fun beautiful style vintage dress before and I’ve always dreamnt I might one day have one of these frothy little numbers. I go to many work related and personal events through out the year that this dress would be so much fun for. Keeping my fingers crossed!
What a loverly dress!!!! I would find the occassion to wear this beautiful piece!
This dress is simply gorgeous. I just got married in a dress I made from a vintage pattern, but we won’t be having our wedding reception until September. I’d feel a bit silly re-wearing my wedding dress then, and this would be a perfect solution!
Wow–beautiful. I’ve got my own wedding coming up, and this would be so fun for a rehearsal dinner or shower. The color is just amazing.
I would love to win this for my daughter to win!
Wow! This dress is totally amazing! I have always wanted a dress like this. I have no idea where I would wear it to. Tea parties with my daughter. Maybe one day if I ever get married again. Who knows! But I would love it. I may just wear it around the house to make myself feel good! What? Other people don’t get dressed up in their fancy dresses to hang out at home? Ummmm…I do. :) It always makes me feel better.
Wow! What a stunning dress and in my size! I would wear this out anywhere, all the time. I have a couple of dance to go to this summer and it would be perfect. It’s so pretty!
It’s an amazing dress, and you are amazing for giving it away! I would such a hard time parting with it, but at the same time – when a dress is linked to a specific event… Still hard!
I love the colour, 50s teal is just gorgeous. Aside from the wonderful structural details, the layers is what catches my eyes.
If I won it, I would wear it to all sorts of events, there are both graduations and weddings in the near future. These things usually occur during summer, and for some strange reason I have very few dressy summer dresses… So it would not languish in a closet! I’d pair it with a corselet or my Merry Widow from What Katie Did (depending on how deep the back is), vintage stockings and a 50s purse my grandmother had saved from the good ol’ days =) Needless to say, I adore vintage clothes! The 50s style suits me the best, and the dress is just my size.
Keeping my fingers crossed, but I’m sure who ever wins this, she’ll love it and it will come to a great home!
Oh my, my heart just skip a beat or 2 when I saw this dress. I think that’s love at first sight. I may not be able to sleep now, dreaming of the day when I meet this dress and caress it for the very first time. I feel like a lovesick teenager.
Very beautiful, Liz! I love it and I am entering myself to hopefully win this dress. Even though I am 6 months pregnant, I would VOW to lose the weight and would gladly wear this to a Christmas party. :) It IS the perfect color as Tiffany blue also happens to be my favorite color!
I love the color and layers after layers lace design. It’s just my size too. Anyway, I stumped on your website. I feel so lucky. I used to do statistics, love cooking, sewing, crochetting or making things in general too. You are so talented. I wouldn’t be able to believe if I win your giveaway!
This dress is GORGEOUS! I work in theatre, and we have parties whenever a show opens and this dress would be PERFECT for those parties. I would love to rock this dress to those parties, and I took some measurements and think I should fit into it. Thank you for sharing a great treasure! I’m going to follow you because I want to see who DOES win if it’s not me. (but please be me!)
Oh my goodness..what an amazing dress! I will find somewhere to wear it – it’s amazing! Thank you for the chance!!
Oh my gosh, this dress is amazing! I’ve always drooled over Timeless Vixen’s dresses and this one is superb! I love the color, the ruffles, the inner construction, everything about it! I’ve wanted one of these frothy 50s dresses for a long time, but this one is perfect and I would love to wear it to a special event :)
Thanks so much for this super generous giveaway, and the chance to win!
Ha ha, the same thoughts that went though my head seem to have gone though the heads of many other readers (‘holy heck, that’s gorgeous. And, impossibly, it would fit!). While I would be thrilled to wear this to my own upcoming wedding/shower, I realize that there are many other hopefuls as well. So, I’m casting my lot in, but I also wanted to write to say kudos for passing on the beauty, and for doing it conscientiously. I think it’s extraordinary and commendable. Also, thank you for posting all the pictures. It is always a treat to see construction details of vintage gowns. And the two tones of blue… yum. It’s an inspiration no matter who wears it.
I LOVE this dress, and it’s the perfect size for me! I wear vintage all the time, and I would definitely make use of it. I think my favorite part is how the lace on the bodice points upward, and points down on the skirt. Sort of makes it look like it is just exploding in lace!
Wow, what a stunning dress! It’s very generous of you to offer it, especially as it means so much to you. Though I think I understand – I think of vintage items and antiques as not mine, I’m just their caretaker: I get to enjoy them, but it’s my responsibility to look after then so someone else can enjoy them, too. It seems like that’s what you’re doing.
As for what I’d wear it for, I know exactly. My partner spent 6 years training hard to become an architect (his dream since he was a child), but, of course, he finished uni in the middle of the recession and architecture jobs have been very, very few and far between. He’s been working in a bar for the past year and a half, constantly sending his cv out to all architects in the area and even doing free design work for friends and family to build up his experience. I’m so proud of him that he’s kept going and kept his chin up. It’s not been easy in that time, we’re scraping by financially, but I’m hopeful. Today he finally had an interview (the second in all that time to give you an idea of how bad it’s been) and I’m hoping he gets it. We’ve said that when (not if!) he gets his architecture job, we’re going to treat ourselves to a special meal. He’ll wear a waistcoat I’m making him (he likes vintage styling, too) and, if I were lucky enough to win, I’d wear this dress, so he and I could both enjoy it and celebrate at last.
And if I don’t win, well I’ve found a new blog to follow, so no loss there!
Thanks again for offering this amazing giveaway – someone out there is going to be very happy!!
All the best,
Clare
quintefoil (at) hotmail (dot) co (dot) uk
Oh my gosh! What a perfect dress.
& I have just the perfect occasion to wear it…
I am from Australia and me and my lovely man are travelling to Las Vegas in December where there may just be a surprise wedding!!! but shhh its a secret…
I even have the lovliest pair of blue shoes to match!
Thank you for the chance to win. What a fabulous giveaway!!!
(I am a new subscriber)
My mouth has been gaping open for about 5 minutes. This dress is absolutely STUNNING. I cannot begin to describe it in any other way than speechlessness. I would love to wear this dress for my next big get together, wear it just to look at myself in the mirror, and to share it with my wonderful sister. I don’t have any children, but I would plan on passing it down to them one day in hopes that it lasts generations. It reminds me of one of my favorite movies “Hairspray” (especially the John Travolta one) because of the ruffles and lace. The design is flawless and looks like such a flattering, comfortable fit. The creator of this dress obviously had pure talent, (and/or hard work) to make such a masterpiece. As I am a frequent vintage shopper, I can honestly say I have never seen anything quite like this dress. As I continue to type, I keep scrolling up to see the deep, gorgeous aqua over and over again. I have looked at a lot of Sew Mama Sew giveaways, but none spoke as honestly to me as this one does.
Now to YOU. I sincerely thank you for this giveaway, and your wonderful sense of fashion! The pit of my stomach as so much excitement in it because I see something I love so much. I will no doubt tweet, and facebook about this dress. I am going to call my sister right NOW to tell her about it. I’m absolutely sure she’ll be thrilled. Thank you so much again.
-Hayley
First of all, I love that this is in my size. I have had trouble finding a vintage dress in my size. My little girls would go absolutely crazy over me wearing this and my husband loves swing (Louis Prima) and vintage so he would love it on me too (: Thank you for a great giveaway.
What a show stopper! My daughter is coming of age and would be ever so delighted to shine in this beauty. Every girls dream dress!
AHHH- MAZING! What a wonderful treasure to win!!
Wow… I was looking at the picture thinking “this is a gorgeous vintage dress, but it won’t be my size” but lo and behold… it would fit! This is so exciting! I’m a big dress wearer and would definitely find an occasion to wear this dress! I was supposed to wear my grandmother’s wedding dress (from the 1930s) for my own wedding but it ended up being too damaged for the occasion. I still have it in my closet and will cherish it still. I love vintage dresses! Maybe I should just start a museum/collection! Thanks for the chance to win and I’m keeping my fingers crossed!
pelemil (at) g mail (dot) com
Oh my goodness. I love this dress so much. In fact, if it managed to arrive here in time for prom, I’d probably wear that instead of my prom dress (my aunt’s junior prom dress, in a slightly greener color with chiffon and an empire waist and white beading. Gorgeous, but it’s still not mine.)
If it didn’t though, I’d wear it every time I got a chance. My college has a “peppermint ball”, or a winter formal dance. I’d be so excited to wear this. I will be going to a private college as an art major and will therefore be broke so I can’t afford such a wonderful dress. I may not have lost weight to get it or something but I love this dress so much and can probably wear it for a very long time…and would, because I have a little growing room in the waist. (Not much, but enough that it should fit past my freshman year of college! I’d be so excited to wear this.)
I saw this dress and my heart fluttered and gasped because it was so gorgeous. I’ve been looking for something like this but couldn’t find one I could afford. I promise it would have a very good home!
bunnygrrl_61793(at)hotmail(dot)com
P.S. As a side note, I was gushing about this amazing dress to my boyfriend and he said “You already look beautiful…” Aww…hehe…
That is one of the most beautiful dresses I’ve seen I know who Timeless is love her shop that was on Ebay but now is on Etsy!
I will frolick in the dress even if it is just to go grocery shopping!
Thanks for this chance.
Hi Liz,
I remember you from your Lady Grey. It’s kind of a small world in the blogosphere, eh? :)
This dress is positively beautiful, and I bet you felt like a million bucks in it at your shower. I would love to win it, and if I do, I will give it to my older sister. She is getting married early next year, and I am honored to be sewing her wedding dress (so I know her measurements, and this dress will fit her!) She is a performer and musician in NY, and has an eclectic and interesting style- she is not really a straight off the rack kind of girl; she likes to wear things that really stand out. Her and her fiance will be marrying on a budget, and it would be so special if I could give her this dress to wear for her rehearsal dinner. Thanks for the opportunity to win. This is a very generous giveaway. I have also subscribed to your blog. Take care!
Abby
I love this dress. It’s beautiful and wonderful and amazing. It is a tad bigger than my size, but not by much, so I’m hoping I’ll win it so I can wear it to the upcoming weddings for this year. And to wear when I play dress-up. Or to give to my younger cousins for prom… I dunno. My eyes are getting all starry and dreamy just thinking about it.
And also, I’m posting this on Facebook right now. Whoever gets this dress will be very lucky, and I want to know them if at all possible. (And boy, I didn’t tell you what I loved about the dress either: the frills! the cut! The waist!)
Wow! This is one gorgeous dress! I would love to wear it on some special photo shoots coming up!
delainaj36(at)gmail(dot)com
My name is Niff- I found this thanks to my dear friend Seeks. This dress is exactly my size for one! I am a ginger so that color would be pretty awesome on me and there are not a lot of colors that work on these ginger locks. I am a trapeze artist and professional aerialist and instructor at the Philadelphia School of Circus arts and I know I could find a reason to wear this in an act so that is won’t get harmed. I have such a love for vintage items and it really just seems very special and very loved. I think I would give this dress a reason to shine. Best of luck to anyone who gets this beauty!
I love the color of this dress. I actually don’t go to many parties but if I won this dress I would definitely host a few of my own. Thanks for the giveaway!
Great giveaway, thanks…
Oh my! Amazing!!! There’ ll be a very luck girl tomorrow!! :) Hahaha! I’m gonna look at these shops on Etsy! They seem full of treasuries!!! :D
I just love the color combination by the way! It’s so classy and fun! :) Amazing dress!
Wow what a dress!!
My daughter would love this!!
What a wonderful dress. My mom is retiring this summer and she graduated in 1950. It would be awesome to have my niece wear this to her party… She is sitting over my shoulder drooling over it now hehe! Thanks for the chance to win this beautiful piece.
This is incredible! I’m not sure you would post to Australia but I’m very interested in this beauty. I’d pay for postage no worries =)
Oh that is beautiful – my daughter would ADORE this dress.Thank you so much for the opportunity to win
Gosh, this dress is completely lovely. I would love to win this dress because I recently gave birth to my third child and need a gorgeous motivation to lose my baby weight. This dress would be just perfect. You’re so generous to offer such a special prize!
Thanks for the chance!
eleanor(at)unfamiliarceiling(dot)com
And I’m a new follower via Google Reader! :)
eleanor(at)unfamiliarceiling(dot)com
Have you ever seen something so stunning that you cry and you think I could never own that?! Our family is currently in crisis and there are so many things we miss from our ‘home’. Everything we worked for and everything which holds our memories and sent is stuck stuffed in a huge storage centre with no access. I am personally from the DIY and refashion culture and your stunning dress would be the piece that I would have the most fun to wear when ever I wanted to feel happy and get lost in the memories woven between the layers of fabrics.
fingers crossed… Steph
First, you deserve some serious karma for sending this dress back out into the world.
Second, this is such a great example of vintage lux-ness and over-the-top detailing that it deserves to be loved. I have been dying to own a real vintage dress ever since I started making them last year. Unfortunately, the old ladies in Sarasota (where I currently am) parted with their prom dresses long ago, and where I used to live (Bahrain) the ladies still lived in tents in the desert when 50’s American girls were dancing the doo-wop.
Anyway, the dress is mind-blowingly sweet and I would love to take care of it for awhile.
Jacki
This is absolutely stunning, but are you really sure you want to give such gorgeousness away?! Very generous of you, I wouldn’t be nearly so selfless…! :)
Thank you so much for your lovely comment on my dress
I feel so selfish asking for this dress. I’m in love with all the ruffles and the light color. Ack, I just want to faint thinking about wearing this is wear to *taps chin*. I need some friends who dress like me so we can throw our own party, just me alone is pathetic, lol. ummabbaas AT yahoo DOT com.
well….feel free to discard my entry if you want, I would understand…but I myself would not wear the dress. Its pretty, but not right for me (or my tummy). But, I think I would size it down for my 4 and 6 year old girls. These are the type of girls that wear bird wings and flower girl dresses to the post office. Trust me, they would wear the heck out of your dress. And everyone in town would see it…and comment on how cute the girls looked in it.
Oh, my! This dress is absolutely dreamy. I would be so thrilled to be the lucky winner. I can see myself wearing this dress while going to a swing dance with my husband. I also have four girls who would have more opportunities than myself to wear it to their dances. So it would definitely get many nights out in our home. Thank you so much for the generous giveaway. Also, I find you to be so cute and adorable. Love all of the things you’ve sewn up. I am signing up as a follower, and I am also a member of Sew Retro and participating in the SMS Giveaway; so welcome. sewingwithtrudy at yahoo dot com
Wanted to let you know that I also put your blog on my blog roll at Sewing With Trudy. Look forward to seeing what you make next.
My sisters and I would love to wear this dress. I would have to grow into it. But I also have 22 and 18 year old sisters. I am 10 and have a sewing blog .
the dress is gorgeous – thanks. It looks very special and I would wear it for my date with my best friend coming up shortly
I would love to win this dress for my mom and three sisters. I know they would love it. I am 8 years old. My sisters are 10, 18 and 22. My mom also has another girl on the way in August. So it would get a lot of use. Also, my mom and sisters all sew. I don’t have a blog yet, mom says I have to wait.
I would like to win this dress for my wife and four daughters. I know they would look so beautiful in it, and I would have to take them somewhere special to get the dress out to have some fun. Thanks for the chance. callan dot films at gmail dot com
I am 18 and would love to wear this dress to prom. dancing4him93 at gmail dot com
Lovely, lovely dress! Reminds me of seeing pictures of my Mom on her prom night! :>)
I adore this dress. If I won it I would give it to my daughter to wear to her end of year formal. She would look absolutely stunning in it.
Thank you so much for the opportunity to win it for her.
What an amazing giveaway!
I think that is one of the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen.. and it’s my size!! I can’t believe it! Oh, I hope it finds a happy new home. Handmade dresses are amazing. I always wonder about the seamstress that made them, and who they were made for, and why… how did the event go? Did the seamstress have any trouble making it? And so on…
Kudos to you for taking care of this dress for the time you’ve had it, and being wise enough to know when to pass it on.
Of course, it is an absolutely spectacular dress. And, as so many others have noted, in my size!
I recently did the same thing, tho not in a giveaway thru a blog, but i passed on several vintage dresses that i had (sniff) outgrown- they were all in the size 4-6 category, and i came to the realization that i won’t make it back down to that size again.
I love the color, so beautiful! What an amazing dress and I am at awe that you have the generosity to give it away. Lucky us!
I would like to wear it once, for a trip to Vegas to go watch a Cirque du Soleil show, and then give it to a young friend who would like to wear it for her upcoming prom. We are both about the same size although I am shorter than her.
Oh how exciting, I hope I win.
What an amazing dress!! If I could pull the look off I would love to wear it to my friend’s wedding this summer.
Oh My Goodness…what do I NOT love about this dress. The colour is amazing and my favorite…that vintage lace…How very lucky for you to have owned it. And so generous to pass it on. Having had BC treatments and no reconstruction I just LOVE the strapping on this dress and the high bodice. Unfortunately I’m not yet a 28 waist but I would hang this as a decorative and inspiring piece in my boudoir to look at every day until I could get back to a 28″ waist!…perhaps in time for my own wedding! Oh again that vintage lace….I’m drooooling!
This dress is everything a 1950s prom dress should be! And the fact that it is a wearable size (well, my size, at least) is frosting on the cake. I believe I would have to visit Tiffany’s in San Francisco and flounce around in my Tiffany blue confection and fantasize about wearing all of the lovely diamonds.
I love this dress for this reason- it looks scary similar to the wedding dress I drew for myself when I was 6 :). I actually would have made that dress to get married in if I knew how to sew when I got married 6 years ago :) I never had a bridal shower, or went to prom or any formal events, so I have no fun formal wear.
I think this dress should be mine because my husband is deployed and will miss our anniversary this year. I think that gives me a reason to dress up myself and our children and have a early night out on the town, then maybe do it again with just me and my love when he returns :)
rascarborough (at) gmail (dot) com
A gorgeous dress. Just the right size for my daughter I think.
Oh my goodness. Words fail me completely. (Deep breath) This is such a beautiful dress – and I have one daughter leaning over me shoulder completely drooling over it, so obviously it would be hers. When she has outgrown it, she has two younger sisters who would wear it. And since I am part of a theater company made up of homeschooled students – it might just make its stage debut in one of our productions (under my watchful eye, of course). What a generous gift you are making to someone!!
ppod1too at gmail dot com
This is an amazing dress. I love it. Thank you so much for the chance to win this. I think that all of us who have commented would be able to provide loving and caring homes for this beautiful dress. Thanks again.
Wow! I am speechless that you are giving this dress away. It is too gorgeous and the color is just perfect! I’m hosting a formal-themed party in July because well, I just wanted to dress up since there’s really no occasion to do so between prom and marriage, and this would be perfect for it! I will give it a fantastic home. Thank you very much!
Wow, that’d actually fit me–and the day it no longer did, well, then I’d place it in the local museum on display for others to enjoy!
This dress is just beautiful. My family calls me a minimalist, but really I just hate to see things wasted and I don’t like all the consumerism out there. I have two dresses; my prom dress that my mom made me and a dress from the fifties that my grandmother wore when she was young (also homemade).
I love blue and I would love to wear this dress to my high school prom. I love that it has a happy history; I love thinking about who used things before me and what life might have been like for them. I would wear it with my great-grandmother’s pearls; my mom gave them to me for my 16th birthday because I didn’t want my parents to buy me anything. :)
what a gorgeous dress! i LOVE the color, the style, the line, everything about it! my sister julia is so stylish and this would fit her PERFECTLY!
Oh, my goodness! Believe it or not, this dress is literally MY SIZE! It would fit like it was made for me. I have one dress, and it’s long and black and not necessarily pretty…it’s just there. My brother is getting married this summer, and I think it woudl be a perfect time to whip out a gorgeous dress like this. Thanks so much for offering something so close to your heart. :)
hi! That dress is so perfect! I love the shape, the colour…everything! I’d love to be able to wear it to such an special occasion as yours, my wedding shower! I’ve always wanted to wear something special and with its own history..and this would be perfect! I have exactly that size, too! It seems to have been done for me! haha
thanks for the giveaway
paulamonteagudo at hotmail dot com
oh my good lord. If I ever get married I want it to be in a dress like this! WOW!!
Oh my oh my oh my, where do I start?!?! This dress is utterly amazing and I hope I haven’t missed the cut off date for the giveaway! (I just found it over on the Sew Weekly forums).
Love it so much – the colour! the fabric! The ruffles! Stunning!! (And exactly my size, haha!)
Even if I’m not lucky enough to win, thanks for posting these stunning photos of it. It’s an absolute dream. :-)
Wow! What a dress! I would wear it all the time if I won.
I wanted to officially thank you all for participating in my giveway for the May Giveaway Day. It was wonderful to read all of your posts and letting me in to your world by sharing your stories.
Thanks for making my first May Giveaway Day a success and I do hope you all visit back from time to time to say hello. :)
Count me IN!
Fate must have brought me to you website…I just attended an affaire at Tiffany event and the beautiful vintage dresses were over the top. I had so wished I could have dressed in one too. I thought the next time I go to a vintage affaire I would love for me or my Granddaughter to dress back in time. we both love Tiffany Blue and lots of ruffles…If this dress were for sale I would buy it.
Thank you for this wonderful chance. they say there are second chances. Hugs and blessings
I’m suprised that you are able to part with this dress. It is so lovely. I am thinking of taking square dancing next year and even though this dress is not western, I would have to wear it for something like that. Also, I’m still in college so college graduation would be a possibility (as would a future bridal shower or rehersal dinner). What a lovely giveaway!