My latest project is just squeaking in to the end of summer dress season. But when I saw this combo I knew I had to try it! The pattern, 6889, is a Retro Butterick 50s release. When I saw this pink “potpourri stripes laurel” cotton, I suddenly felt that I absolutely needed to make a BarbieCore vintage inspired dress.

I made a few adjustments, mainly in length because I’m just barely 5’2″. I found the bodice quite long, so ended up taking about 1.25″ out above the waist, and then about an inch out of the skirt length, and the hem is 1.5″ deep as well.

The other small alteration I made was to add in a side pocket on the right side (opposite the buttons). I always need a pocket! I think you could add patch pockets as another option, as they would fit quite well into the retro aesthetic. But I just added a side seam pocket, using one of my standard templates.

I used 1/2″ shoulder pads but didn’t cover them with self fabric, which was an option in this pattern, with pattern pieces provided. They take you through the process of creating your own shoulder pads with crinoline and batting, if you want to do it the vintage way! And there is a button placket all down one side of the dress, which I finished with these very pretty Rivershell buttons. They are lightweight shell buttons so I wouldn’t use them for something which will see heavy wear on your buttons, but this dress really doesn’t need to have any of them undone once you’ve attached them, as it can easily pull over your head. For this purpose, these delicate shell buttons are perfect!

The pattern itself is a bit vague in parts of the instructions, so I’d recommend you are at least an advanced beginner to give this a go. There may have been a few moments of unpicking in my process…but it all worked out. This dress is a little outside my usual style, so I’m happy that I was able to give something new a try for Fabricville, and to end up with a cheery and fun Barbie inspired outfit!