1930s in Navy and Plaid

Here is a dress that I finished some time ago. I had a terrible time getting a good picture of it; I don't know if it was because of its dark color or if the conditions were just wrong every time, but I tried on four separate occasions, and these pictures were the best out of about fifty. I had to lighten them considerably in order to show the details, so just try to ignore how washed out the background (and my face!) looks.


I made it with navy and plaid cotton using this pattern from the Vintage Pattern Lending Library.

I LOVE this pattern so much that I just want to make it over and over, and this is actually the second time that I have made it. I made a few alterations from the pattern instructions this time around. The original dress unbuttons to the waist with the yoke being completely sewn down. Instead of using the facing piece provided for the bodice, I completely lined the inside with plaid and made it open down to the point of the yoke. I did this because I really wanted to add some extra buttons there for aesthetic purposes anyway, so I figured that they may as well be functional. Also, I had a bit of trouble getting in and out of the first dress, so this helped with that as well.

Here is a close-up of the sleeve and some more covered buttons.

Visit my blog for a few more pictures and details!

Vintage Knitting

The weather may not be cooperating, but post Labor Day I am ready to pull out all my cardigans and tights.  I did, however, get a chance to wear this sweater last week before it got super hot again.

The Fall season means my knitting needles will start to get more of a workout, and I will hopefully complete a few of the projects that have been stashed away on needles for quite some time.   

This sweater is “The Rose Jumper” from A Stitch in Time.  The book is filled with knitting projects from the 1920s through the 1940s.  Copies of the original patterns are included along with updated versions with extended sizes.  I am absolutely in love with every project in Volume 1 – if only there were more hours in the day!  And if you are looking for a little vintage inspiration, the photography is stunning.

I finished this sweater back in January, but never got around to wearing it - mostly because I could not find a skirt to wear with it.  That means it is time to start sewing up some 1930s inspired skirts!  Then the weather got too warm, and it was tucked away.  As soon as the weather gets cool again, I will be sure to pull this out again.

More pictures of the finished sweater may be found over at Lilacs & Lace.

1930s Dress-Vintage Pattern

Here is my latest (completed) project. It is made from some cheap cotton fabric from my stash ($1.00 per yard-thank you, Wal-Mart!) The fabric is beautiful, though; soft and thin, sort of gauzy, not at all stiff or cheap-feeling. It drapes and moves beautifully!

On a side note: my husband took all of these pictures and "didn't notice" that my collar was folded up in the back on one side...! They turned out so well otherwise (and I was having such a good hair day! hee hee) that I didn't really want to retake them, so just try to ignore the fold! Here is the dress:


Once again, I made it to match a beautiful pair of crocheted gloves that I got from ebay. At my local fabric store, I found the perfect striped accent fabric to match the colors in the gloves. The buttons are vintage, although I have no idea what era they are from. They looked deco enough to me, and they matched perfectly, so I used them!


I made it using this vintage pattern:


I took about 14 inches total out of the circumference of the hem; it was a bit too A-line for my taste. I also added 2 inches to the length. When it was finished, I topstitched all of the seams with light brown thread. I did it with a lighter color because I wanted the beautiful seaming to show; I love the way the yoke and the pleats look on this dress, and they weren't really visible on the dark fabric.


Here is the way the collar looks from the back. I tried very hard to match the stripes, both in the back and in the front, and I was pleased with the result. I am not very good at pattern-matching, so the fact that it came so close made me very happy!

More details and pictures on my blog!

1930s Dinner Dress

Hello!

I just finished this gown based on Eva Dress 744, the 1930s Dinner Dress pattern available in multisize.

It was a great pattern to use and I especially love the cut of the skirt.  I did make a few changes just based on personal preference.  Most notably I added 6 inches of length to the cape, cut the back skirt gore twice as wide as the original to have more "swoop" at the back, and added about an inch to the length of the top bodice between the bound buttonhole type facing that the cape passes through and the top, but did not add it to the lining (so that the top piece had more fabric gather above where the cape inserted, then tacked down a "tuck" to just add to the drapey effect).  Also, in lieu of making the cape detachable I decided to just go ahead and attach it and stitch closed the slit through which the cape passes.  I also cut the cape on the cross grain of my 60" wide fabric so I could not have a seam up the back (which meant I had to piece the lining, but no biggie).

All in all this pattern was MUCH easier to make than I had anticipated.  The hardest part for me was inserting an invisible zipper at the side seam (hi, bias satin + zipper.  Ouch! What was I thinking?  It originally called for snap closures, but I wanted the smooth line), and the newest thing I had learned was zig zagging clear elastic at the back bodice to help it stay "put".  I am glad I had thought of putting thread basting down the center front of the skirt and the bodice, as it helped me with fitting to make sure the skirt was hanging correctly. I am totally in love with the skirt of this pattern and can see myself adding it to various bodices for different evening gowns.

I used a great heavy gold rayon satin I purchased in the LA garment district for the body of the gown and cape.  The bodice and cape are lined in nude silk charmeuse.  Let me tell you, I was iffy about using my nice fabric to line this in because I was hording it, but oh my gosh, the silk charmeuse on my shoulders and arms felt SO nice that I'm glad I used it!

More info and pictures are on my blog here.

DuBarry 1952B (1937-1938)

DuBarry 1952B, circa 1937-1938.

Here's the pattern packet:

And here's the dress:

Pardon my wilted appearance, it was about a hundred degrees even though I was in the shade and it was dry.

Yes, I wore red heels to an archaeological site. Actually, I nicknamed this dress "Archaeologie" because it's cutesy-poo enough that parts of it could possibly show up on Anthropologie, but I made it to wear to my brother's archaeological presentation. Ha ha. Personally, I think it looks a whole lot like the pattern packet, especially considering I'm not built at all like the 1930's ideal. I added two inches overall to the hips, out of necessity, but other than that, this is sewn exactly as directed. Oddly, by far the hardest part was the lace trim on the split cap sleeves--lots of basting and blind-tacking!

The fabric is Moda Happy Camper quilting cotton, which is supposed to be a modernized 1950's-flavored series, but I think it works well for this.

Flickr set.

Blogger entries.

EvaDress 650 1934 lounging blouse

This is my third blouse made from the EvaDress 1934 lounging pattern and I'm really pleased with it; the pattern is so easy to use and the fabric is so soft and silky.

This is suck a simple pattern - it goes together very quickly and the resulting blouse is very flattering, I just can't get enough of it!
I made a several adjustments to the pattern which I've written about on my blog. Pop over for some more pictures and details.
Tea and Crumpets

'30s Burgundy Dress

I made this dress using a vintage 1930s pattern; of course, I couldn't resist putting my own spin on it! It's constructed with burgundy crepe, and the floral accent fabric is satin. You can see the original pattern, along with more details and photos of the dress, on my blog!

I made it specifically to match these beautiful vintage gloves, which needed some loving repairs. There were a few holes and unraveled parts, and the entire trim along the top of one of the gloves was missing. Despite having no knowledge of knitting, crocheting, or tatting, I decided that I would attempt to fix them....

I am very happy with the way they turned out, and I just love wearing them!

Hello, Everyone!

I've been following for a while and have been amazed by all of your lovely creations! I love1930s fashion, and I make clothing and accessories exclusively from that period; mostly from vintage and reproduction patterns. Come on over and visit my blog, "This Old Life"!

Back in the country and back to the sewing machine!

I'm back from a trip to Central America and am finally back to sewing. I've got a pair of 1930s inspired pants in the works. It has been a relatively ill-fated project, but they're turning out quite nicely all in all. Hopefully I'll have them finished in the next day or two!

More about the trip and the pants on my blog. Hope everyone is having a good week so far!

-Evie

Sewing Project Book - 1933

I recently found this adorable book, made by a high school freshman for her home ec class in 1933-34! It's amazing to see the skills being taught, and I love how the teacher had the girls keep a book of what they learned.
More pages at The Vintage Traveler.

A tale of three dresses

I finished a few dresses from vintage or repro patterns recently and thought I'd share them here.

1939 Eva Dress' reproduction of McCall's 9906

More info and photos here

1969 Simplicity 8278

More info and photos here

1965 Simplicity 6327 (Bodice only)

More info and photos here

Have a blessed week!

Hello from a New Poster :)

Hi there!
I'm so excited to join Sew Retro! My name is Lauren and my blog is Wearing History.
I love to sew pretty much anything vintage or historical... from the 18th century to the 1950s, but the bulk of my sewing is from the 1930s to the 1950s. I'm very excited to post among so many talented seamstresses and contribute to this blog!
Since I can't really think of anything else to say about myself I'll just post a few pictures of a dress I finished up this weekend:

I made this dress from Eva Dress' 1932 Tea or Street Frock from green rayon crepe and I used a vintage 1930s deco print fabric for my collar accent.  I had been holding onto this fabric for years waiting for just the perfect project to come along and inspire me, and this was the one!  This was a really fun pattern to sew for me. I loved the piecing and the drape and the lapped seams. Fun!  And I loved sewing with these fabrics, too :)  For more on this project feel free to visit my blog about it.
Thanks again for letting me join the team of posters here!

Wearing History Trousers & Blouse, 1930s reproduction

I recently finished these high-waisted trousers and blouse from Wearing History's 1930s reproduction pattern. More details can be found on my blog.

High-Waisted Trousers, inspired by 1930s design

I finished these Wearing History trousers last week in black wool and have only had a chance to properly photograph them over the weekend. This is a modern pattern but inspired by 1930s design, so I hope it counts as sewing something retro. More details can be found on my blog.

Flapper Fest - 1930s Repro clothing

My boyfriend and I had a prohibition era (1920-1933) themed party this past weekend and I wanted to share some pictures from the event and our outfits with you.

I made my skirt and blouse from an original early 1930s dress pattern that I adapted for separates, and I made Brian's pants and vest. The pants are from the Evadress 1934 Men's trousers pattern and the vest is from an original 1950s pattern that I have (I think it's a 1952). Brian made his shirt from the 1920s Men's shirt pattern. I also made my necklaces and had a perfect opportunity to sport my new Remix 1930s pumps.

There are lots more pictures of the hair, makeup, and the party itself on my blog.

Hope you're all having a good week!

-Evie

1930s Lace Sweater

I started this sweater just before school started and finally had a bit of time to do some more work on it this morning, managing to make a little time this week for Stitch 'n Bitch at my friend's tea shop. It's a 1930s knitting pattern I found on Ravelry, and the yarn I'm using is a lovely baby alpaca and silk blend. It's absolutely decadent! Some of the softest yarn I've ever found. It's taking considerably longer than my last two sweater projects, but I'm really excited about this one. It's going to feel so nice!

I'm about a third of the way finished with the back.

Detail of the lace pattern.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/lacouturieredimanche/ 
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/eviecat
http://lacouturieredimanche.blogspot.com/

"Red Dust" Inspired Sheer Dress

This is not a new creation, but it's one of my favorites. I wore it to a wedding last night and thought I'd share some pictures. I'd been watching a Jean Harlow marathon on TCM and there were a couple of dresses in some of the film wardrobes that I really loved (especially a couple of the outfits from "Red Dust") I had this fabric sitting around waiting to be used, and while I was watching TV I came up with this design. I drafted the dress pattern myself using instructions from a reprint of a 1930s drafting book I have, and made the slip to go under it. I was so happy with the way it turned out (although there are a couple of bits I do try not to look at too closely) that it immediately became one of my favorites.

There are a few more pictures of it posted on my blog. Hope everyone is having a nice weekend!

Introductions

Hello all! My name is Lauren and I'm a keen sewing novice from Bristol in England.
I write about my sewing projects on my blog Tea and Crumpets and I've recently posted about 3 projects I finished (one of them a year after I started - I never claimed to be fast!). I've also written reviews for the patterns over at PatternReview.com.

I've been sewing since I was quite young, when my Nan taught me the basics. I've dabbled ever since but have only started regularly wearing my own creations in the last year or so, and am learning how to make my clothes look a bit more professional.

My favourite period for fashion is the 1940s but I often wear clothes from the 30s to the 50s. I have a lot of projects on the go at the moment and will be updating here and on my blog when I do some more work on them.

I've enjoyed reading about everyone's sewing and hope you have fun reading about mine!

For now, I'll leave you with Decades of Style butterfly blouse.

Decades of Style Pattern #3007

So far I've posted a few completed projects, to share my experience and elation at actually finishing. All your comments are super encouraging and help motivate me to jump in and complete another sewing project. What I haven't done yet is post simply to announce to someone other than myself my intentions for a new project, locking me into one of the many possible projects/patterns I have. I get so overwhelmed that I put off doing anything. So now with you all as an excuse, I can put all my patterns away but one. (*sigh of relief*)

Okay, here goes...my latest commitment is to make a dress from the Decades of Style pattern #3007, the 1930s button dress.

The plan is to complete it by September 12th for the Gatsby Picnic.

Based on past experience, this completion date is a bit ambitious, although I have a few days off work this month and the design seems pretty straight forward plus I've found the fabric - yay!

Fabric found at Peapod Fabrics, San Francisco

Locating fabric I like is so difficult, plus I'm not good (yet) at visualizing the fabric and the design together, but I'm feeling pretty good about this fabric. As soon as the pattern arrives, I'll get to work! I. will. finish. on. time. (Don't mind me as I repeat my aspiration a few times...I will finish on time. I will finish on time...) And I always love readers of my blog, so please come visit me some time!

catalog Sunday

This Sunday is more from Montgomery Wards 1937

in glorious COLOR!

More can be seen on NVL.