Enid Gilchrist pleated skirt, circa 1957

Hey Retro-Lovers!

I recently got a couple of Enid Gilchrist pattern books off Ebay, god that woman makes it look so easy...

Her pattern books basically show you how to draft a sloper, and then alter it in a million different ways to make a variety of dresses/outfits...

So here's my version of her 'Skirts which Flatter the Figure' pattern (and a copy for you!)



.

When I make this skirt again, i'd interface the waistband before attaching, and make the waist band a fraction shorter. Otherwise, I love it!

As always, lots of random stuff on my blog...

My Enid/Ikea dress

I made this dress from my vintage (1950s/60s) Enid Gilchrist pattern book, 'Junior Teens and Smaller Women', and some 2010 Ikea fabric ... I love the mix of vintage and modern :)

I wrote on my blog about it here :)

Linda

My first Enid

Hi, I'm loving this retro look right now, and am really excited to have found Sew Retro :)

My name is Linda from Adelaide, Australia.

Sometime last year I found my first Enid Gilchrist pattern book in an Op Shop for 20c ... since then I have been collecting as many as I can find ... I am still amazed at how many patterns she could fit into each book! My collection ranges from babies through to adults, with my favourites being the women's patterns ... the fashions, from about the 50's through to the late 70's, are just awesome :)

I recently made my first Enid dress (blogged here)... the pattern, style and fit were all perfect, and I can't wait to make some more :)

Linda

My blog is called Clickertyclick :)

groovy play dress

I started sewing this dress for Miss almost 3 back in June 2009. Then it sat in my ufo basket waiting for me to add hems, handsewing, buttonholes and buttons. A whooping 6 months later, I'm pleased to say that I finished it today. Luckily she hadn't grown enough for it not to fit.

The play dress is made from a pattern drafted from Enid Gilchrist's 'Toddlers clothes' book with 2 lots of remnants. It's an unusual color combination for a toddler - off white & black - but I think it looks really striking. An ideal twirling dress! I'm planning to make a lot more Enid Gilchrist vintage inspired wear for Miss almost 3 this year. You can follow my adventures with Enid's patterns on my blog

chocolate play dress

this play dress pattern is by Enid Gilchrist. I was working with remnants here and love the way that the retro looking cotton print (which had a lovely,satiny feel but frayed like mad) is set off by the plainer gingham. Yes, browns are an unusual color palette for play wear but I think this looks very smart on Miss 2 (who proved to be the most unwilling model ever!)

You can follow my travels through Enid's many pattern books here.

regards Norma in NZ

play dress

this dress is aptly named 'the economical dress for your daughter' made from an Enid Gilchrist pattern book. Again it was simple to draft and construct. I chose a square neckline and used binding on both the neckline and armholes. I find that Enid's patterns run a little on the generous side. This dress was made from 3 'ugly' fabric remnants and I think I was able to 'make it work'.

The next time I make this dress I'll deepen the square neckline and possibly have less fullness in the body of the dress. Miss 2 is delighted with her dress and did a lot of twirling and whirling in the morning sun before collapsing in a giggling heap to read a story book. You can follow my sewing adventures with Enid Gilchrist's patterns on my blog.

simple girls nightgown

was from a pattern in Enid Gilchrist's 'Toddler Clothes' book. It's a simple enough pattern to draft, although I hadn't figured on my Miss 2 having wider wrists than the finished nightgown. Improvising, I undid the french seams on the sleeves to make more room for her wrists. The fit and length are great. It's a typical 50's styled child's nightgown with a simple round yoke and a lovely 'vintage' styled ribbon at the neck. I used wincyette fabric remanants, ricrac and some leftover pink satin ribbon which makes for a lot of different pinks thrown together. I'm now working on a dressing gown and some play clothes for Miss 2, based on Enid's patterns, and hope to post pics very soon. You can follow my progress at
my blog.