Summertime Silk

Now that the weather has decided to heat up, I am pulling out all my summer dresses before the heat decides to disappear until next year!

As further proof that I am obsessed with vintage reproduction patterns, here is yet another finished dress currently residing in my closet.  This one is Butterick 5209, a pattern originally printed in 1947.  

Have I mentioned that I am absolutely in love with the styles of the 1940s?    I was first attracted to the halter version, but decided that the cap sleeved look would be much more wearable.  And I am so glad I made the decision – the sleeves are one of my favorite parts of the garment.

Now if only I had a big floppy hat like the one in the pattern illustration, I would be all set for my garden party!

 More pictures may be found over on my blog, Lilacs and Lace.

Sewing by Numbers

I found this pattern, Advance 4463, on eBay earlier this year and was so taken by the design features I just had to have it. The only drawback was there were no instructions. Being the sort of person who doesn't tend to follow instructions anyway, I wasn't deterred.



Construction of this dress was surprisingly easy. I used the image on the front and line drawings on the back of the pattern envelope as a reference and just went for it. I did, however, encounter a couple of problems; the main one being an error in line drawings on the back of the envelope.

Despite the 'sewing blocks', I really like how this dress turned out and it's so comfortable I'll likely get a lot of wear out of it when the warmer weather finally gets here. Not to mention I've managed to get all the lines to match up this time. Woohoo!!



More pics and details on construction problems on my blog: A New Ball of String

- Tamara

Still Stuck in the 1940s

I am very much enjoying putting together these 1940 day dresses.  So, I thought I would give Simplicity 3162 a go.


I thought the soft pleats on the sleeves were lovely.  It was a quick dress to put together if you put your mind to it.  The directions did have me scratching my head but once I just focused on the pictures, I was able to figure things out.


You can see I did change up the neckline from the picture on the pattern.  The details and lots of pictures of the original neckline and the changes made to the pattern can be found on my blog.

1948 Casual Dress

Not every project turns out as planned but I try to make each one a learning experience. I loved this 1948 design, but hated the way it looks on me. Still I did learn a lot about sewing, and about myself. Read the sad tale at The Vintage Traveler.

1940s Simplicity 1297 - a dress for when you *wish* it was springtime!

Pattern Description:
Misses' and Women's Sun Dress and Bolero. A "Mother and Daughter Fashion". For "Daughter", see Simplicity 1296. The dress is styled with princess lines and supported by shoulder straps. A bow-trimmed fold outlines the upper edge of bodice and finishes the skirt. The cap-sleeved bolero is lined. In Style I, contrasting fabric is used for bolero lining, bow, straps and folds. In Style II, the contrasting bolero is lined with dress fabric. Style III, evening version, does not have skirt fold. (description from Vintage Pattern Wiki)


Pattern Sizing:
sz 16/34B
this is one of those situations where the waistline and hipline fit beautifully but some serious tinkering is needed on top.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
yes, it's a lovely, simple pattern that is well-represented by the envelope and drawings.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
in as much as 1940s instructions are ever easy, these were. it's a simple pattern. ultimately, i did end up changing some of my techniques--i deviated from the instructions most notably on the installation of the upper band and shoulder straps, treating the band like a backwards facing and getting the raw edges of the straps in under there. it's a clean, simple install.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
it reminded me of a 40s piece i saw in my local vintage shop, and i was determined to replicate it.

Fabric Used:
cotton stretch from Paron Annex, NYC
Liberty of London tana lawn, New York Elegant Fabrics

Construction:
i shortened it significantly and worked on adjusting the bust size using a princess seam "sloper" than kenneth king helped me make for a princess line jacket. this worked, but still needed a tweak. it sat, unloved, for about a week until on a whim i decided to pick it up sunday morning and finish it for a bridal shower event that afternoon. cute, quick, easy, and the deep blues really suited my mood because it should have been spring on that late april afternoon but was barely in the 50-degree (F) range! the sweater was a necessity, not a fashion statement...

i also shifted the zipper to a center back alignment to give me more economical pattern-cutting options. i still have enough left of the print for a top!

advance 3951: the winter-that-wouldn't-end dress

Pattern Description:
(from etsy seller clovas)
Darling day dress with faux wrap bodice. The dress can be belted or tied. There is also the option of a scalloped or straight edging, so cute.


Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
yes.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
the faux-wrap gives the bodice a nice look while using less fabric (helpful in 1940s rationing and also when using liberty fabric!) than a traditional wrap. i like the looseness of gathers on these 40s bodices, and the scallop seemed like a great mate for the fabric i had chosen. in fact, this pattern lingered on my "favorites" list for months until i saw the fabric and immediately found inspiration.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn, appropriately titled "winter stem", from purl in New York City



Conclusion:
here in the tundra formerly known as NYC, the weather continues to drag on and on as though no one has passed mother nature the memo that it is april and time for nicer weather! although i'd originally intended this dress to be a house dress, or a weekend dress, yesterday, the weather was raw, damp, windy and unpleasant and this seemed an appropriate dress for the occasion:
comfortable, a "winter" print, and yet colorful enough to impart some cheer. alas, the comfort factor on the dress made me realize how much i'd rather be at home, with a cute pair of leggings on under it and a much heavier sweater on over it, with my feet up and something hot and spiked in a mug by my side. all day, whenever i looked down at my dress, i longed to be home and even felt that not all 40s day dresses were created equal in terms of work-week wear.

i have not yet made the tie, although i intend to.

this dress was constructed on a whim one saturday evening a week to the day after i had taken the fabric home--the very day the pattern arrived in the mail. it was late--always a bad sign--and i was cutting. i'll just say that i had to cut the bodice more than once!

also--understitching scallop facing = interesting times...


Make again?
advance 3951 may not get made again, and this particular inclination of it will certainly be employed more on weekends than during the week. however, i continue unabashed my love and appreciation of these 1940s advance patterns. they are basic, a cinch to work with, and offer up loads of options because of their simplicity. prints, solids, stripes, it all works, it's all easy, and it's all fun to wear--if you wear it in the right environment!

frankenpattern: it's alive! (1940s day dress)

the ideal: McCall 6273, originally spotted on glass of fashion

ORIGINAL Pattern Description:
(from glass of fashion's etsy site)
Cute pattern by McCalls for a button through dress with gathered detailing on the bodice. Choose a high keyhole neck with bow detail or cut-out neck. Three sleeve variations: short gathered, three quarter gathered, or long and straight.


Actual Patterns Used:

Simplicity 3262 purchased from savagespider	McCall 6314 purchased from VintageJubilee

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
yes! in fact, i liked it even better once i decided to make the skirt have some extra fullness in the back, as suggested by McCall 6314.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
i decided that the gathers on the bust darts were too nice a design feature to ignore. of course, the instant i decided this, someone snapped up the pattern on etsy. six months later i finally had enough understanding of the pattern pieces, and additional patterns for inspiration and guidance, to attempt it on my own.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn "hanako" from B&J in New York City

(image from tessuti fabrics)

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
simplicity 3262 had both the bust gathers i admired as well as a kimono sleeve, instead of the set-in sleeve on McCall 6314. gathering up the sleeve and tying it off was simple and easy and best of all, built into the sleeve on S3262. M6314 inspired a continuous gather going from the bust apex down to about the hip, which i found both flattering and aesthetically pleasing. also, i really enjoyed the skirt design on M6314, which gives one some extra fullness in the back.

obviously, looking at the pattern pieces, there is very little complicated drafting going on here, and given enough time i could have done it myself--maybe. (drafting is a bit out of my wheelhouse, but necessity may have surprised me...) still, i had these patterns in the stash, and why re-invent the wheel? the major "drafting" i did was to turn the v-neck into a sweetheart neckline (thank you, french curve) and to draft an extension beyond the CF point on the bodice and skirt pieces to accommodate a button front.

i shortened the skirt to go 22" down from my natural waistline instead of the period-appropriate below-knee length. but i'm beginning to wonder, given the prevalence of longer hems this season, if i may need to stop shortening my vintage skirt patterns!

Construction:
as has become my standard practice on these gorgeous 40s dresses, i didn't line or face anything but finished all seams (including neckline and armscye) with a bias binding. in this instance, i used a matching bias binding on all seams and finished the waistline seam with a bit of contrast grosgrain ribbon from Pacific Trimmings. the hem was turned up and finished with some basic wright's hem lace in the same color as the ribbon.

buttonholes thanks to jonathan embroidery. to make the front extensions work as a sort of makeshift placket, i took a strip of fusible interfacing tape, sewed it to the RS raw edge of the extension, flipped it over to encase the edge, and turned the entire bit over once more for a clean and "faced" finish. really, an adaption of the excellent facing techniques recently described on both the off-the-cuff blog as well as the male pattern boldness shirt sew-a-long.

another advance 3929

still loving this pattern, advance 3929. this time i made view 3, a sweetheart neckline with a cap sleeve. learning from my first outing i redrew the bodice pattern slightly, taking in the sides to more of a 32 bust range, and altering the waist gathers slightly to accommodate my figure. this had the added benefit of reducing some of the excess fabric i had seen across my shoulders in my first version, so, encouraged by success, i took apart and re-assembled my first version in order to make these fitting changes. it was love at first sight all over again!

fabric, of course, liberty of london tana lawn mystery print that i got at B&J in NYC. i first saw it late last summer and was struck by the whimsy and cuteness of it--it seems to be little birds (or bees) buzzing around a bit of foliage, interspersed over lovely pink polka dots. i can't find a picture or name for it online anywhere, and they do not seem to have it anymore at the liberty mothership in london, nor at shaukat. B&J, however, have it still, and in two colorways, no less, but the website is slightly out of date.

you can't see in the picture, but i finished this piece off with a self-fabric belt made by the amazing pat's custom buttons and belts in california. i cannot say enough about how positive an experience i had with this service. my full, gushing review can be found on patternreview, along with photos of the two other belts i had done and the 200 buttons.

Simplicity 1309: 1940s Day Dress with Bow!

Pattern Description:
2-piece dress front with shoulder and waist gathers, straight skirt, back cut on fold. 2 bow options: back waist or front neckline. side zipper. (pattern purchased from the blue gardenia)

Pattern Sizing:
34B, which, as usual, was too triangular for me up top and just right at the waist and hips. after much trial and error, i got it down to a good size in the top.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
definitely!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
given that this is an old pattern, the instructions were sparse--and yet still helpful. the benefit of a super-simple dress with only 4 pieces, i suppose.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
mostly i liked the simplicity and the fact that it is from the 1940s. now that i understand how common this shape of dress is, i actually like it even more, because this type of bodice is so adaptable. also, i love waist gathers.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn, "caesar B", purchased at B&J fabrics in NYC.

one of the reasons i gravitate to liberty cottons for these dresses almost instinctively, despite the debilitating effects on my bank account, is that a print like this just calls to me as a perfect combination of classic vintage and yet still somehow having a modern twist. as soon as i saw this fabric swatch in the shop, this pattern popped into my head as its mate. also, given the delightful simplicity of so many of these old dress patterns, it's become a great playground for me to try busier prints, something i promise you i tend to avoid in my real, non-handmade life.

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
none, although i did decide to cut the facings and the bow in contrast pink cotton. per usual, i finished the inside edges and the cap sleeve hem with contrast bias tape and completed the hem with hot pink hem lace.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
i've already got another version cut. this is going to become one of my go-to 40s dresses along with my beloved advance 3929.

Conclusion:
fun, fun, fun!

1940s Day Dress - McCall 3928

The Facts

Fabric: Cotton
Pattern: McCall 3928, purchased at the NYC Pier Antiques Show
Year: 1940s
Notions: Metal zipper, 3 buttons
Time to complete: 4 hours
First worn: February 2011
Wear again? Yes

Pattern Description:
1940s day dress with gathered skirt, gathers at bust, waist and shoulders, button front convertible collar and waist ties. sleeves may be short, 3/4 or long. sleeve cap is darted for fullness.

Pattern Sizing:
14 - 32B
i made no changes! YES!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
the instructions were harmless. not the most useful, not the least useful. they guided me adequately through the dress.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn, "akinobu," purchased at B&J in NYC

Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
as usual, i finished the inside edges in contrast bias binding and finished the hem in a contrast lace. i understand that this can be a bit too crafty--or, as michael kors would say, "becky home-eck-y", but to me, it is a fun detail that reminds me that i made it myself, and it feels vintage, and i think it is sweet and cute, like wearing a pretty slip.

i ended up eliminating the ties because of a combination of laziness, confusion, and a determination that they weren't needed--but i still have the piece cut and may do that later. i also eliminated the upside-down pocket flaps (see above reasoning). also, i was tired. i didn't realize it at the time but i had a particularly bad case of mono, and this became the first of many garments i sewed in 10-minute to half-hour intervals during the 6 weeks i was sick.

Would you sew it again? Would you recommend it to others?
i'm torn on sewing it again. it was easy, and the gathers make for a great design detail, and i'd love to do a version in the 3/4 sleeve. on the other hand, when it comes to a TNT repeatable 40's day dress i think my heart is always going to be with advance 3929.