McCall's 4463

I've had this pattern for several years and always liked it's childish looks. Now that I work in the children's department of a library and the most perfect fabric came into my life, I had to make it.

After I got 'help' from my bad kitty
This is how it turned out:

I think it's cute! One thing I didn't realize about the pattern until after I had already cut it out is that the back is lapped, and therefore flaps open when I walk. :o I guess that's why panties were included in the pattern! My fix was to wear another skirt I made last year under it. At some point in the future I'll probably sew up the back seam, but for now, especially in chilly weather, the added layer is okay.

Here's a closeup of the adorable fabric, sent to me from a friend living in Japan:

It may be late but I did finish...

More than a year ago, I claimed to be making a retro inspired dress using a Target tablecloth as fabric. Well, I finally finished it last week. It feels good to be done...but it doesn't fit!

Well, it fit when I cut it out (a year ago). It fit when I attached the bodice lining (months ago). It just doesn't fit me now. Throughout this stressing summer, I lost weight. I was shocked at how much. And for me that's not a good thing. However, I am not taking the dress in. I will get my weight up once I find a job and no longer freak out about how much food costs.

the back

My dress just doesn't look as cute as it should. So even though I finished it, I'm not happy. It's loose overall which isn't that bad until you come to the waist. My waist comes in much more than that and I want the 50's New Look silhouette that is the dress design. I will be buying a petticoat soon, however, in the meantime, maybe a belt will help? They show one on the pattern.



So, I will be on the lookout for satin-like ribbon 2 in or more wide, something you just don't find at JoAnne's or Hancocks anymore. Maybe grosgrain instead?



I also have this retro McCall's pattern from 1966. This top just needs to be hemmed a little longer than shown. I looked forward to making this pattern. I thought it was simple and I could whip out dresses and tops from it all summer long. However, I'm having fitting problems with this as well. It just seems to be drafted really big, regardless of my weight loss. The sleeves were longer than pictured, I had to cut off about 2 inches. After easing the sleeves in, they are actually puffy.

I promise next time I sew anything where fit is a major part of its design, I will make a muslin. That will be extremely hard for me because I am an impatient seamstress. But if it eliminates this frustration, then I will do it.

Free Pattern from the VA Museum

http://www.vam.ac.uk/vastatic/microsites/1486_couture/create.php

Erin posted this at Dressaday, but for those of you who don't read her blog, the VA Museum in London has a vintage couture exhibit. In honor of that exhibit, they've post a sewing pattern made from a dress in their collection. It's only available in UK 10, 12, and 14. UK size 14 has a bust of 38 and waist of 30 if anyone wants to know.

It prints via PDF onto 8.5x11 or A4 paper. There's also an option of poing to a print shop and having them print it for you on bigger paper. You can print the bodice separate from the skirt. I know I have my favorite circle skirt pattern I'll use instead of printing theirs up, but the bodice is really different from any other pattern I own. I can't wait to try it out and hope the rest of ya'll enjoy it too. :)

Hello from Louisiana

My name is Colleen and I'm a Canadian living in Louisiana (for now).

I've just gotten back into sewing after almost 20 years away from it. My interest was rekindled by the bloggers I'm seeing that are doing vintage sewing, particularly "Dress a Day".

Not much for my efforts yet, but am close to finishing a few garments, and when I get a chance I will post. I've also been collecting vintage knitting patterns, but haven't had much time to knit vintage with the exception of socks and hats. The climate I'm living in right now just isn't suited to sweaters. But I just love the fit and shaping of the sweaers from about pre-1965.

I'm a Ph.D. candidate in the sciences and it's the recruiting silly season right now, so interviews and company mixers are being interspersed with the usual round of teaching, class work, and trying to get some research done. I'm finally close to finishing one section of my thesis which I have nicknamed "the project from Hell". It was meant to be a short little thing and ballooned into something much larger--partly because I didn't know what I was doing when I started.

I scored some vintage patterns from E-Bay and local thrift shops, but haven't had time to scan and post. 1950-ish to late 1960s. I'm working on a dress right now--a modern design, but a retro feel. It's a wrap dress--fitted bodice and a full skirt with godets to add extra fullness. It's this one from Simplicity--I'm making the view shown in the beige fabric:

Simplicity 3877

The fabric is pale yellow cotton with an orange/black/magenta geometric pattern on it. I think it suits the dress. I bought the fabric on E-Bay for about $1.50yd (including shipping). It took about three weeks for me to get around to cutting out the dress. It then sat for a few weeks. I've done a bit of work on the bodice, but I think it'll be a while before it's completed. Unlike Canada though, I can wear stuff like this nearly year-round here. I've also scored some brand new (as in cut off the bolt but not used) fabric from local thrift stores for about $0.50/yd.

I've really enjoyed reading through the entries in this blog. Very inspiring. It wouldn't have occurred to me to use thrifted sheets or tablecloths as fabric for dresses or embroidered pillowcases for tops. But really, it's all just fabric.

That's it for now.

Colleen

Pink 'n' Green should always be seen

I just couldn't get a clear picture of me in this one for some reason, so here it is on Jane...

This was made from fabric and trim purchased on the Great Sydney Fabric And Pattern Extravaganze (with bonus Fifties Fair Action) undertaken by Miss Kitty and I a couple of weekends ago. More detail on our blog.

Sixties Seersucker

I have been hankering after gathered necklines lately, and found a few patterns at the fifties fair two weeks ago. This is my first effort using this 60s pattern, and some seersucker fabric I bought at the fair. The seersucker kind of hides the gathers a bit, as does the black background, but I like the result anyway!
Details of Moggy's and my day at the fair and pics of the fabric and patterns we found are on the blog.
http://twopeopleonebrain.blogspot.com/

Tomato of my eye

This one's from a vintage Butterick 8149 - a 50s sun frock. Bloody thing had to be resewn about 7 times to get the bodice to fit. The fabric was the cheapest print ever - $2 a metre at Spotlight but then the counter gal forgot to charge me for it. So, free! You get what you pay for - it was quite see-through so it needed lining and scorched if the iron was on anything above the silk setting.

But she came good. I had fun underlining it with an old crisp white sheet, using a metal zipper from the habby stash, and a great old belt buckle.

Yes, those are apples. Doesn't stop my feller calling it "the tomato dress". I think it needs a punny name. Suggestions?

UPDATE: We have a winner. The Apple iFrock.

HAhahahahahah.

Mod Squad: now in colour

I've been straying from my usual 1940-1960 fashion obsession lately and when I found a red and white geometric print bedsheet at a garage sale this past weekend, I knew I had to make something a little more mod. This pattern, which has been sitting around feeling neglected all summer, was perfect.
I made view c, staying true to the pattern details (except for going up one size to a 36 bust, and using seam binding instead of facings for the neck and arms). The shaping is achieved with a small dart at the bust and a longer curved dart that starts around the hips, ending at the armsyce. This was the first time I had made a garment with a curved dart and I am super impressed with how it turned out.
The finished dress comes to mid-knee on me (I'm 5'6") and has a really great A-line shape, which is a little hard to see in the picture.
Here's a close-up of the collar detail:The button is also thrifted, but it's been sitting in a drawer for so long that I can't remember where I got it.
If I can ever track down some 60's metallic brocade, I'd love to make this again for a pre-disco-era glam feel.

1976 tablecloth skirt

I made this from tablecloth I got from a market:

Using this 1976 Style pattern which I found in a charity shop (hurrah!). I did cheat a little- I didn't have quite enough fabric, so the side seams tulip slightly, and I settled for a machined handkerchief hem rather than trying to get a curved one to work with the print...

Here's a back view:Now all I need is a few pairs of the shoes shown in the envelope illustration...

Kirsty
(Blogged with more pics at Practical Polly)