summer lovin' in advance 8280, mccall 3489 and mccall 5314

version the first: cut on a whim on memorial day 2010. i used several new-to-me techniques: i block-fused the facings, i pick-stitched the zipper, and i attempted pleats. as i may have mentioned, i do often have issues with pleats, and i accidentally pleated them inside out. inside out was actually the best turnout, and it took me 5 tries just to get that far, so i kept it. to work within the constraints of a shorter-than-needed piece of fabric, i cut everything on the cross grain, changed the CF fold into a CF seam, changed the CB fold into a CB seam, and shortened the skirt by more than 9". because the skirt was, by now, quite short, i hemmed it with a cute piece of ribbon trim by turning up the edges a straight 1/2" all the way around. also, i made contrast facings, just because.

version the second:

image from Shaukat

same thing, only this time i remembered to re-size the bodice! also, i am thrilled to say that the pleats came out properly. i swapped the side seam for a CB seam, which somehow works out better for me, and i hand-picked the zipper without beads. this dress has turned into a fabulous little transitional piece as summer in NYC has rapidly faded into fall.

advance 8280: a summer love story at puu's door of time

i then used A8280 with pieces from other gorgeous 1950s dresses, specifically mccall 3489 and mccall 5314. originally i attempted to draft 3489 and 5314 from my A8280 pieces, but ended up buying the mccalls using all three patterns together to get some new dresses.

mccall 3489	mccall 5314

there's a lot of love happening here.

mccall 3489 and mccall 5314 at puu's door of time

Any Excuse to Dress Up

This is my version of Butterick 5032.  

I finished the project a couple of years ago, but this poor dress has been extremely neglected.  With Fall upon us, and cold weather closing in, I thought I would pull her out for one last fling before next year.

I have also used the capelet as a cover-up for an embroidered cotton summer dress with quite a bit of success.

Dress: Butterick 5603
Capelet: Butterick 5032

I was expecting to make the sheath dress and cummerbund, however, my fabric did not cooperate with me, and the cummerbund idea was abandoned.  In order to cover the skirt back, which had some fit issues, I used a contrasting cotton sateen and went from there.  I am actually happier with my cobbled together version than I probably would have been with my original idea.  I love when mistakes turn out to be for the best!

More pictures may be found over at my blog, Lilacs & Lace.

Ceil Chapman Gown Finished!

Well, it was a lot of work, and I did not finish until a couple of hours before I had to leave the house, but the end effect was well worth it!

My Gutterman silk thread spool was completely used up, so I hand basted over 110 yards of fabric.  And I am afraid to think about how many hours it took – I would guess somewhere around 60 or 70 hours over the past month between the muslin, the corselette, basting dupioni to organza and gathering up quite a few leaves and flowers, and making and embellishing the matching purse.

I think this is the most work I have ever done on any one garment, and I am also the most proud of this gown.

More information about my process, and more pictures may be found over at Lilacs & Lace.

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress Unveiling

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 7

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 6

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 5 

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 4

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 3

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 2

Ceil Chapman Cocktail Dress, Part 1

Simplicity 4256- Vintage print blouse

I made up this vintage blouse pattern, probably from the 1950s. I made view 1, but with short sleeves due to a lack of fabric. 

 I made it from a vintage cotton I picked up at an estate sale and used vintage red, plastic buttons as well. Very vintage!

It will be a nice blouse for fall and I can definitely imagine making it again. It was a bust 31, which I rarely see. I am more of a 32 ( with a non-vintage sized waist) but I didn't have to adjust anything. I would say it runs a little loose. It is obviously meant to be tucked in, but I hate tucking in shirts! More on my blog.

The Maria Dress

The second thing I managed to do over the weekend was finish a dress I have been working on since the start of the year.  I cut this out before we went overseas but never got around to sewing it up.  Last Saturday I finally sat down and started and this Saturday I finished it.

I used Simplicity 3078 which I used to make my hawaiian dress last year (posted on my old blog).  I have one more idea for a dress that I could like to make with this pattern and then I will stop.  I think 3 of the same dress will be enough don't you.

I am calling this the Maria Dress because my friend Maria loves the colour purple and every time I see it I think of her.  I am trying to add a few different colours into my sewing because I noticed the other day I tend to use pink, white, red and black quite a lot.  I am thinking more yellows and greens are in order.  Although I do have a couple more red things up my sleeve.

I am really happy with the inside of this dress.  The bodice is lined so I decided to make the skirt and everything as neat as possible too.  I get a quiet sense of satisfaction wearing a dress that I know looks just a good on the inside as it does on the outside.

I haven't been sewing nearly as much as I would like to be so I am really hoping to change that for the rest of the year.  I have a list of things I want to make for Christmas presents and for myself for Summer so hopefully I can get cracking and have some more sewing projects to show you soon.  For more see my blog!

vogue 6543: the summer wardrobe that almost was...

when i spotted this pattern on etsy i felt like i had discovered treasure. these little tops patterns from the 50s are like candy for me--i'm definitely trying to hunt them down. the reason is simple: i'm a really stingy fabric cutter. i'll add CB seams where there should be folds, i'll shorten skirts, i'll eliminate facings, all in the hopes of having a bit of fabric left over to play with. this top pattern became my playground. all summer long, when i wanted something cute, quick and satisfying i'd pull out a scrap and settle on a version and go to work.

construction:
a few tricks became standard: no facings, just contrast bias tape. finish all interior edges with bias tape. on the halter versions, (views B, C and D) i added sew-in interfacing, bra cups and a lining.

i had some button fun on view C:

what i learned...
i had naively assumed, not quite understanding the importance of wearing ease differences in different patterns, that i could re-draw this too-small pattern using my V8615 french dart bodice. and i could--on the front. the back, however, was much too big, with almost 4" of wearing ease i needed to fold out later. i was able to adapt but as you can see in my button shot, the results are wearable but not perfect. i would say this became a theme for my summer sewing, crystallized during the august sit-n-sew in NYC with susan khalje and kenneth king, when i finally made a moulage and sloper.

still...

View C	View C
View A	View B

not bad, right?

additional details cross-posted on puu's door of time

Cherries Jubilee

The majority of the clothing I have made would qualify as “special occasion” attire.  But I never let the fact that people might think I am overdressed keep me from wearing a dress that makes me feel fantastic.  It turns out, I get more smiles from people and even a few doors opened for me.  Sure, some people stare or ask if I am wearing a costume, but it does not detract from the joy that wearing these clothes brings to me.

I have recently come to the conclusion that saving these special garments for a special occasion is silly.  If wearing a great dress will improve my mood, why not wear one every day?

My cherry dress does not get a lot of use because I feel that I should save it for a special occasion.  However, I am determined to change all of that.  If it is not a full on ball gown, and if it jumps out at me from the closet, I am going to put it on and enjoy wearing it!

This dress was made using Butterick 4792, another vintage reproduction (I told you I am addicted!).

The petticoat ruffle that gets attached to the lining of the skirt is one of my favorite parts.  In fact, I used the skirt and netting pattern pieces to make a stand alone petticoat for the other full-skirted garments I have made.  Instead of gathering all the way around the waist, the gathers are pushed to the sides, leaving the center front and back flat.

The pattern is surprisingly easy to put together.  I love the bodice and neckline details and may have to use them with a pencil skirt at some point.

More information and pictures may be found over at my blog.

vogue 2960: when you don't have enough fabric...

Pattern Description:
Close-fitting, low neckline bodice and cap sleeves, gathered in front of upper bodice, darted at waistline, flared skirt with release pleats at waistline seam, below mid-calf length and front buttoned closure.

Pattern Sizing:
i made a size 10 bodice, with a few adjustments, and a size 12 skirt.

Did it look like the photo/drawing on the pattern envelope once you were done sewing with it?
close enough for government work!

Were the instructions easy to follow?
yes, i had no issues at all with the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
i thought the bodice was fun with some visual interest and i love a pleated skirt, but mostly i made the pattern on a whim when i thought i had the right fabric.

Fabric Used:
cotton print from Mood

Cutting:
here’s where things got exciting. i’d picked up this adorable cotton from Mood earlier last summer with plans for making it into a housedress. and then i had one of those flashes of inspiration/brilliance/insanity where suddenly in your head you see the fabric and the pattern perfectly and veered back to V2960. except i only had 2 yards. and Mood was out of the fabric. so: the skirt got shorter (above the knee, just below mini-skirt length). bye-bye, facings. hello, bias tape! i had just squeaked everything in to a crosswise-folded length of fabric when i realized that one of the skirt pieces was slightly off-grain. and that there was no way to straighten the grainline and still fit everything onto the fabric.

Construction:
firstly, i decided to interface the lower bodice panels with a bit of fusible. i really wanted them to be firm and structured. to cover up the interfacing, i lined the lower bodice with a cute hot-pink-magenta bemberg. i finished the inside seams with a pink bias tape and left off the facings, as mentioned, finishing the major seams at the neck, back and armscye/cap sleeves with pink “quilt binding” bias tape. in retrospect, i really should have been more diligent about things like thread matching, and the inside is a bit of a hot mess, but overall it’s highly satisfactory (and not the fault of the pattern).

pleating the skirt: it seemed so easy, and yet i seem to be incapable of attaching a pleated skirt cleanly to either a waistband or a bodice. i had some major issues here with bits of the skirt getting caught up in the needle. since the original construction of this dress, i’ve gotten more committed to hand- and machine-basting my pleats up at the waistband for a cleaner finish.

the hem: maybe it is just me and my off-grain skirt panels, but the hem on this skirt got a bit wonky as i let it hang to stretch out–because wow, did bits of it stretch! the longest pieces of skirt were at the sides, dipping inches lower than either the CF or the CB seams.

lining: the skirt is a bit flat so i finished the hem with 1/2″ horsehair braid and a cute hot pink pleated trim. see my comment about the hot mess above–it’s far from perfect, but it’s completely cute and wearable.

more photos/comments posted at puu's door of time

simplicity 4255: late summer sewing and laziness

Pattern Sizing:
size 14/32B

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

Were the instructions easy to follow?
these instructions were a bit more abridged than i'd become used to, even for vintage patterns. by the 50s i had expected more! i definitely got a little flummoxed when trying to figure out their method of attaching the collar and facings.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
that super-wide collar screams "FIFTIES!!" to me and i wanted to try one. also, i thought a wrap blouse would be something new and fun to try. eventually i want to try the trousers, because the overall outfit has a great vibe.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn "rosy c" from B&J Fabrics
cotton shirting with ribbon accent from Paron Fabrics


Pattern alterations or any design changes you made:
i shortened the sleeve and eliminated the cuff, because too much is too much no matter how cute the top is. i decided to do the facings, collar and tie pieces in a different pattern just to break up the small floral print of the original cotton.

Construction:
i put the main pieces of the blouse together first, and then did a clean facing application with some sew-in interfacing on the facing and collar pieces. it wasn't called for and it was completely unnecessary, but it gave the facing some real strength and shape against the ties, and really made the collar feel substantial. i attached the collar using a "burrito method" approach taken from margaret islander's "Shirts, Etc!" dvd.

cross-posted, additional info on puu's door of time

butterick 4919: pool-side party dress for a summer evening

Pattern Description:
Flared dress, fitted at bust, below midknee or floor length has back zipper and tie ends extending from bodice back.

Were the instructions easy to follow?
honestly, the instructions were fabulous and not what i was expecting at all! the dress was shockingly easy to put together and those few bits that had some confusion were easily explained in the instructions.

What did you particularly like or dislike about the pattern?
the wrap-front brought a gorgeous new twist to a classic marilyn-inspired 50s design.

Fabric Used:
liberty of london tana lawn "lillian's berries"
pink bemberg rayon lining from NY Elegant Fabrics
lining and dress trim from M&J Trimming

(image from Shaukat)

Construction:
shortened skirt by almost 10 inches (at least!) and finished hem with covered 1/2" horsehair braid using the technique in Lynda Maynard's Dressmaker's Handbook of Couture Sewing Techniques. my cat tried to help with this, which made it extremely exciting and doubled the amount of time it should have taken. i did a hand-picked zipper and finished the top half of the zip--above the bow--with beads in the pickstitches.


Cross-posted at PatternReview
Cross-posted at puu's door of time

An Introduction

Hello all!  My name is Laura, and I am so very pleased to join this wonderful online community.  I reside in Novato, CA and adore vintage things.  And although some may not understand my wardrobe choices, I simply cannot live without petticoats and other girly, old-fashioned things.  Lately, I have been more drawn to the 1940s, but only because my closets are not happy with the numerous crinolined frocks they must accommodate.

As an introduction, I thought I would share one of my favorite vintage projects - a reproduction of a Vogue Couturier pattern I found over at Eva Dress.

Once I had my fabric in hand the real fun began.  Am I the only one who takes extra special care with a project simply because the fabric is amazing?  A muslin, thread tacks, and hand basting are absolutely required!  This is one of the more complicated dresses I have worked on, and it is also one of my most successful.

So successful, in fact, that the dress demanded its own topper and hat. 

I am so excited to share my journey in vintage fashion with you!  Feel free to stop on by my brand new blog.