Hello sweet friends! Welcome to a special edition of Fashion Friday. This is the sixth annual Wearing of the Green. This year’s garment has been on my must make list for several years. It is a Dress Inspired By The Quiet Man.
Dress Inspired By The Quiet Man
The Quiet Man is a 1952 Americana classic film directed by John Ford. It stars John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara. If you have never seen the film it is often shown on St. Patrick’s Day so treat yourself.
I have long admired the dress worn by Mary Kate Danaher (O’Hara) when she goes courting with Sean “Trooper Thorn” Thornton (Wayne).
The dress itself is simple in design.
The standout features include the lace cuffs,
as well as the glorious collar and bow.
The bodice is attached to an a line skirt.
The length hits mid calf, somewhere below the knee and above the ankle.
The fabric itself is lightweight, almost sheer. It’s quite provocative when Mary Kate gets caught in the rain.
The Pattern
I used a vintage pattern, Simplicity 2671, view 1. It was a great pattern that went together beautifully. Just two changes were made. The first is that straight sleeve cuffs were made instead of the winged design. The second was creating a bow tie that sits just below the collar. It was simply a rectangle with lace sewn on.
Two semi sheer vintage curtain panels were just the right amount of fabric that I needed for the dress.
The buttons, and all the other materials used to create the dress, were found at various thrift stores and estate sales.
The iconic collar took the most amount of time to create.
I painstakingly removed the lace off of an antique doily that was tattered and stained. It was handstitched to the collar so it would lay perfectly.
If anyone knows what type of lace this is, please feel free to leave a comment down below.
As there was not enough lace to also do the cuffs I removed the lace off of an old handkerchief that had seen better days. The lace was smaller but similar.
I love to repurpose lace this way. It’s gives it a second time to shine.
Just the collar and cuffs alone took about 4 hours to create.
The Old Mill
I had been planning a trip to Moss Mountain Farm just outside of Little Rock, Arkansas. As my friend Kelly and I were making the 5 hour drive the day before the farm tour we looked for things to do in Little Rock. The Old Mill at T. R. Pugh Memorial Park was highly recommended.
The Mill is a re-creation of an 1880s era water-powered grist mill. It was completed in 1933 and built to appear abandoned.
Classic film buffs might recognize it from the opening scenes of Gone With The Wind.
Dionico Rodriguez, a sculptor and artist, was responsible for all of the detailed concrete work made to represent wood, iron or stone.
You can see the Old Mill in action on my Instagram HERE.
From online photos it reminded me of some of the old stonework that is featured in The Quiet Man. So I asked Kelly if she could be my photographer.
Thank you so much dear Kelly!
There are several delightful paths you can walk.
As well as being able to go inside The Mill itself.
The spring blooms were putting on a grand show while we were there.
In the film Mary Kate accessorizes the dress with a black patent leather belt so I did the same. But I also made a belt of self fabric that I will probably wear with the dress as I like it a bit better.
In the film Mary Kate’s bonnet plays an important role. So I had to have that as well.
Can you see my teeth chattering in the photo? It was a very cold and dreary day when we took the photos. But I think it was worth it.
I hope you enjoyed this year’s Wearing of the Green.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Laura
Other Wearing Of The Green Posts
An 1890’s Victorian Sporting Outfit
Beautiful, Laura! And I’m so glad you took the dress with you to Arkansas so you could get those fabulous photos by that beautiful mill. I’ve never seen “The Quiet Man.” It looks charming.
Jeanie,
Oh, you’ve got to watch The Quiet Man. I don’t consider myself to be a giant John Wayne fan, but he has so much masculine allure in the movie that it will make your heart go pitter-pat!
The mill is perfect for your pictures. Great job on the dress! Love the antique buttons and lace.
I’m thinking that my DD probably hasn’t seen the movie, perhaps I can twist her arm tonight to watch it with me! Although she won’t like the fighting – that’s why she hated the original parent trap movie.
Oh, Laura, you could have played the part of Mary Kate. You look beautiful!!!!!!! Your dress and hat are so pretty. The lace collar and bow add so much softness to the dress. You are a “Seamstress Diva.”
Beautiful job on the dress, Laura! And I so enjoyed the Old Mill photos – and the Spring foliage.
Looks like you had a wonderful trip! ~ carol
Jeanie,
Oh, you’ve got to watch The Quiet Man. I don’t consider myself to be a giant John Wayne fan, but he has so much masculine allure in the movie that it will make your heart go pitter-pat!
Laura, Hi, It looks like my commentto Jeanie was replied to twice. I think I did that.
Laura, this dress is one of my all time favorites. You did an absolutely fantastic job. The collar is exactly like the movie dress! I’m going to go look at all the other green dresses/blouses/apron, etc. that you’ve made. The dress and the bonnet look wonderful on you.
What a sweet spring frock! The lace on the collar and cuffs may have been time consuming but well worth every minute. And women of that time would have spent their spare time hand sewing lace to their garments so you have kept this very authentic. And lace was usually repurposed as well since it was too precious to be tossed. The hat is perfect for the season. I know you used the black accessories to create the look but I think the matching belt and lighter shoes will be more suited. It may have been chilly the day you did the photoshoot but you look like you are enjoying a warm spring day.
Thank you for sharing your lovely hand work. I may have to go look for the movie now. I am not a fan of JW but O’Hara was wonderful on screen.