Going-away dress

This is the fabric I bought at Denver Fabrics when I met Cheri and April a few weeks ago. It was on clearance and the fiber content was unmarked, but I suspected it to be a rayon or silk.

Yesterday, my dad and I performed a highly scientific burn test to determine its fiber content (including burning a wad of cat hair from my cat's brush so we could identify what "burned hair" smells like). Based on the results, I believe it to be silk!

The plan is to make it up as a going-away dress (after the wedding gown is done, of course!) using EvaDress 1432, and changing the sleeves to be like view A on McCall's 7931. It's been a while since I've made a 1930s dress, so I'm looking forward to working on this one!

Simplicity 4749

I just won this cute pattern on eBay! It'll need to be sized up but I'm looking forward to sewing it (though whether I'll be able to sneak it in before all the wedding sewing is done, I can't say). :-)

Bridal attire - an update

Got the fabric for the bridesmaids' skirts! This lovely sueded silk shantung also comes from Denver Fabrics, but I did not purchase it during my visit to the store because I didn't think there was enough fabric left on the bolt (just shy of seven yards). After looking around at other options and swatches I kept coming longingly back to this shantung! Finally my mom suggested a way to get three skirts out of this yardage which I think will work, so I went ahead and ordered it via phone. It coordinates wonderfully with the pink damask for the tops and drapes so beautifully, much better than a synthetic fabric!

The mock-up of my own gown is nearing the end stages (I hope)... Mom and I have been working on ironing out some of the kinks of the hemline today, and I hope to place an order for my fashion fabric soon.

A funny story: last night I tried on my final mock-up, hoping that it would fit well and require minimal alterations -- when suddenly it seemed to be more ill-fitting than ever! After going through three bodice mock-ups you can imagine my frustration! My blood pressure was rising and I couldn't handle working on it anymore at that point, so I took a break. My patient and calm mother took the mock-up to do some work on it and figured out what my problem was -- I had reversed the side front and side back pieces! They are quite similar in shape so during the pattern tracing from mock-up #2 to #3, I accidentally mislabeled the pattern pieces... I am so, so grateful to my mother for sparing me hours of frustration and confusion by discovering my mistake! I honestly could never even think of undertaking the task of sewing my own wedding gown if it wasn't for my mother's help.

A favorite passage

...They came to the wagon, waiting for them in front of Fuller's hardware store. Something bulky stood in the wagon box, covered with a horse blanket. Laura wondered what it was, but she had no time to look, for Pa untied the horses quickly and they all started home.

"What have you got in back, Charles?" Ma asked.

"I can't show you now, Caroline. Wait until we get home," Pa answered.

At home he stopped the wagon close to the house door. "Now girls," he said, "take your own packages in, but leave mine alone until I get back from putting up the horses. Don't you peek under the blanket either!"

He unhitched the horses and hurried them away.

"Now whatever can that be?" Ma said to Laura. They waited. As soon as possible, Pa came hurrying back. He lifted the blanket away, and there stood a shining new sewing machine.

"Oh, Charles!" Ma gasped.

"Yes, Caroline, it is yours," Pa said proudly. "There'll be a lot of extra sewing, with Mary coming home and Laura going away, and I thought you'd need some help."

"But how could you?" Ma asked, touching the shiny black iron of the machine's legs.

"I had to sell a cow anyway, Caroline; there wouldn't be room in the stable next winter unless I did," Pa explained. "Now if you will help me unload this thing, we will take its cover off and see how it looks."

A long time ago, Laura remembered, a tone in Ma's voice when she spoke of a sewing machine had made Laura think that she wanted one. Pa had remembered that.

He took the endgate out of the wagon, and he and Ma and Laura lifted the sewing machine carefully down and carried it into the sitting room, while Carrie and Grace hovered around excitedly. Then Pa lifted the box-cover of the machine and they stood in silent admiration.

"It is beautiful," Ma said at last, "and what a help it will be. I can hardly wait to use it."

--excerpt from These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, published 1943

Ask if yon damask rose be sweet...

If ever I thought that I could have my bridal attendants purchase their gowns, one stop at a bridal shop was enough to put that notion to rest! Thankfully, my mother-in-law-to-be and my mother are both wonderful seamstresses and are happy to help me sew some dresses for my bridesmaids.

While I was in Colorado over the weekend, Douglas and I were able to make a stop at Denver Fabrics. I didn't have a hard and fast idea of what I wanted the girls to wear, except for the color -- pale pink. While browsing, I found this lovely 100% silk damask in their bridal section (at a reduced price, even!). I thought the damask would be too overwhelming for a full-length gown, so I took some swatches home and pondered what I could do with it.


A browse of LanetzLiving yielded several possibilities, with McCall's 3571 (view A) being an all-around favorite. Bingo! We can use the damask for the lovely top and find a coordinating plain pink for the skirt.

My three new sisters-to-be, Emily (nearly 24), Alanna (nearly 15), and Louisa (11) are going to be my attendants. I'm quite thrilled to finally be gaining some sisters. :-)

Dotted swiss

I attended a wedding over the weekend with Douglas, which afforded me the opportunity to wear a dress I made last September (all except for the hem and zipper -- the weather turned too cold for me to wear it last fall, so I finished it this spring).


The pattern is Vogue 8182 (very '60s-looking!) and the fabric is some dotted swiss from my stash. I made the pattern as is, except for raising each side of the neckline by one inch. Cotton perhaps wasn't the best choice for this project, as it doesn't quite drape as it should around the shoulder gathers, but I do love the fabric!

Pearl necklace courtesy of my fiancé. :-)

Ribbonwork

My mom made this pretty little sachet from a kit she ordered at HelenGibb.com. Helen's books tell us that ribbonwork had its heyday in the 1920s. There are some beautiful examples of vintage ribbonwork currently at Vintage Textile: garters and an evening coat.

A baby dress for the cedar chest

This dress evolved quite a bit... originally I thought I'd embroider the collar, but then I didn't quite like the way it turned out -- too busy. I decided to let the pretty print of the vintage fabric speak for itself, so I kept the embellishment simple.


My buttonhole function is having conniption fits right now, but once I get that sorted out, these are the sweet vintage buttons from my mom's stash that will go on the back of the dress.


And look! The soft white cotton lining doubles as a little petticoat.

Swatches

An intriguingly abstract photograph of the silk swatches that came in the mail recently... 100% silk duchess satin from Fishman's Fabrics, that is. Even though they don't look it, they are all different shades (from the top: white, diamond white, ivory, and cream). The fabric is luxuriously beautiful and it has a lovely weight (but not too stiff). At $70/yard, it costs more than I've ever contemplated spending on fabric before in my life!

More swatches are on their way before a final decision is made for The Dress...

Spring sewing

To jump back into sewing after nearly three months of being away from my sewing machine, I started out with this simple project, Butterick 4685. I normally shy away from overly trendy tops (especially the "maternity" look of late) but I decided to throw caution to the wind and make view D. The fabric, a buttery cotton with tiny green polka dots, was 80 cents at Goodwill, and the mismatched green buttons down the front are from my mom's stash. Very spring-ish, eh?

And if I poof the top just right, from the side I could pass for five months pregnant. ;-)

EvaDress 6298

I'd like to point you in the direction of EvaDress's newest multi-sized pattern, 6298. Is it not simply gorgeous? Dresses from this era are what made me interested in vintage sewing in the first place. At $35, it is pretty pricey, but it IS multi-sized and I can testify that EvaDress's patterns come on very durable paper. Now if only I had a good excuse to sew something this glamorous! :)

Fezziwig Ball: the CLOTHES

Which, as we ladies know, is really the most important part. ;)

On the invitations, I wrote: "You are invited to wear 19th century costume, or come dressed in your finest dancing attire!" 19th century costume is a pretty broad category, and even within my family we'll be spanning a few decades.

I've been working on a new Regency emsemble for myself. I made a bodiced petticoat from Mrs. Chancey's instructions (pictured below), and now I've started cutting out my actual dress. I'm using gorgeous white cotton voile and the Elegant Lady's Closet pattern from Sense & Sensibility. I chose the view with 3/4-length sleeves and a gathered neckline.


I also plan on making my brother, Nathan, a "Mr. Darcy" costume -- the men's 1812 waistcoat from Rocking Horse Farm, a muslin shirt, and cravat. He's going to look rather dashing, if I do say so myself.

Mom's Romantic dress is already taken care of, courtesy of Cheri, and Dad will either rent a Victorian costume, or else wear a Victorian-esque vest my mom made for him two years ago. We think it'd be fun to stuff his shirt front with pillows in an attempt to make him look like Mr. Fezziwig, but my dad gets hot easily and I don't think it would last throughout the evening. ;)

Mrs. S. has been sewing up a storm for her family, so we know at least a few of our guests will also be in costume!

Hot water bottle

Pictured above is my hot water bottle, and the little flannel sack I made to cover it up. Notice the birds match the rubber of the bottle! Very cozy.

A winter skirt

I bought some fine-wale, golden tan corduroy at Jo-Ann's last Saturday and turned it into this tiered skirt, using McCall's 5109. The third tier has an attached faux-petticoat made from muslin and eyelet lace. I'm not sure I like how it turned out -- not my style -- so I think I'll try to sell it.

Feminine winter wear, part II

Thanks all, for voicing your opinions on my last post! Seems like the plaid tiered skirt and the long, A-line skirt with pleats at the bottom were the two favorites. You did a good job of picking out the most practical designs. I tend to get carried away with wanting to sew fancy things, but then my every-day wardrobe is neglected.
I do have a tiered skirt pattern, and behold, I found a pattern similar to the bias skirt yesterday -- Butterick 5042. I also have several lengths of wool already that will make lovely winter skirts, but I've been too chicken to cut into them, since I wasn't sure what style of skirts I wanted. As always, I will share the results of my sewing projects with you as I finish them! Thanks for your encouragement! :)

Feminine winter wear

Although I like to wear feminine things, I find I have a harder time doing so once the weather turns cold. For one thing, I don't have as many winter skirts as I do summer skirts! A few weeks ago, I flipped through some magazines and catalogs for inspiration, then did a few doodles of skirt designs I might sew. Alas, most of them are not practical (and would that sewing were as easy as doodling!). ;) Are there any that you particularly like?


(Click for larger image)

1940s bustle-back skirt

(Sorry about the fuzziness; I asked my dad to not use the flash, and this is what came of it! Sigh!)

I've been wanting to try Evadress 5569 for about a year now, so recently I finally bought it. I was inspired to use a red plaid by this fashion sketch of an Elsa Schiaparelli bustle skirt from 1948. I love this pattern -- from the front it looks like a regular pencil skirt, and then you turn around and lo! all these amazing details! You could even omit the bustle and just make a skirt with drape-y pleats in the back. Despite how it looks from the front, the skirt is quite full, with plenty of room for walking.

For a few more slightly-fuzzy-yet-better-shots-of-the-bustle pictures, click here and here.

Diary of a Christmas dress

I don't make or buy a new Christmas dress every year, but it is fun to plan a special new dress for special holidays. When I was a girl, my mom made me many beautiful little dresses for Christmas and Easter, and now that I can sew for myself, I like to continue the tradition.

This year's inspiration comes from a dress that J. Crew sold last year, the Justine dress (view 1 and view 2). Even when it went on sale for a reasonable price, I resisted buying it because I knew it would be a huge pain to figure out how I could make that too-low neckline wearable.

Looking through my mom's old 1970s patterns, I found a few I thought I could amalgamate into something similar. The original J. Crew dress is rather 1940s-ish, and believe it or not, some '70s and '80s patterns have a '40s look about them. I quite liked the bust and shoulder darts on McCall's 4207, and I thought I could use the midriff and skirt pattern from Butterick 3731 (making the skirt tea-length and omitting the front seam). I will probably just experiment to get the sleeves right. Here's the little sketch I did of how the final outcome should look:


I'm planning on doing some other Christmas sewing, too, so here's hoping I can get this done! My goal is to have it finished by the time my Mom and I go to The Nutcracker ballet (another yearly tradition), on December 15.

Advance 9512

My friend Charis bought me two vintage patterns at an antiques & collectors show she attended recently. I was surprised and touched because she doesn't sew, but she knows I like vintage patterns! This one's even in my size -- I quite like the 3/4-length sleeves and the double-breasted style.

'70s skirt

Remember that herringbone wool from my fabric stash? It's been converted into a retro '70s skirt. (Admittedly not my favorite fashion decade, but it was the height of my mom's sewing-for-herself stage, so we've got quite a few 1970s women's patterns tucked away in the basement... and some of them are cute!!)

For pictures, please visit my sewing gallery.

The one that got away

I sometimes see a gorgeous pattern on eBay that I love, but I refrain from buying it because I know I'd lack the time to make it or the opportunity to wear it. This was one such pattern. I'm now feeling rather remorseful over the fact -- especially since it's in my size. Please, if any of you sewing mavens see another one of these floating around on the Internet, let me know about it!

New shirt

Guess what? I made a T-shirt! And it was surprisingly easy!

One of my old J. Crew shirts bit the dust, so I ripped it apart and used it as a pattern to make a new shirt. The fabric was a ribbed knit left over from my Christmas skirt in 1997. I had just enough to squeeze out this shirt! I was intimidated by working with a stretchy fabric, but it was a breeze. I'll definitely try it again, next time with a bateau neckline!

New skirt #2

New scarlet skirt

And matching red toes!


The pattern is Simplicity 5914; the fabric, a linen-rayon blend. The skirt design is rather 40s-ish (almost identical to the skirt in this pattern) and I think it would be perfect for swing dancing -- wide enough to give you ease of movement, but no Marilyn Monroe moments when you twirl!

I just cut out a white linen skirt from the same pattern (view A), which I'll share tomorrow, Lord willing.

Advance 5677

Another eBay purchase! Somebody stop me. Here's the whole sordid story of how difficult it is to buy a vintage '50s wrap blouse pattern on eBay.

Inspired by a fabulous wrap blouse worn by Sophia Loren in Houseboat, I took a look on eBay for patterns and immediately found a great one. I am not kidding you, it ended up selling for over $50!! Other similar ones I found were also in hot demand. I was the only person who bid on this poor li'l pattern, probably because it is a very small size (I'm not afraid to draft up!) and the pattern envelope isn't in the greatest condition.

Anyway, it had my two prerequisites: 3/4-length kimono sleeves and a higher neckline. When I do make it, I'll probably make the ties a little less... huge. But won't it be great in a crisp white cotton shirting?

More stash

(See yesterday's post for part one.)



Another fabric from my friend Susan -- she calls it the "wallpaper" fabric. :) I think it would make a lovely cotton Regency dress, but I'm not sure if I've got enough fabric to make one for myself... so perhaps this will be another length of fabric destined for any daughters I may have!



I bought five yards of this polyester georgette when it was on sale for $2/yard, thinking I could use it to make an inexpensive yet snazzy 1930s dress. I quite like the sleeveless version of EvaDress 1432... but perhaps the floral would be too "busy"?



Actually, this retro "atomic" cotton (or poly-cotton) print is from when I was 12 or 13 -- I think I bought it thinking my mom would make me a '60s shift dress. For one reason or another, it never got done, and it's still in my stash. Now I'm not sure what on earth I'd make with it... a skirt?! Otherwise, this may be headed for eBay.



More from Susan -- a lovely off-white cotton gauze with a white plaid over it. I think this would make a lovely, simple summer dress, but I haven't found the perfect pattern yet.



And, for fun, this gingham print with fruits and veggies! I love the colors! This will become an apron at some point, most like as a gift for someone else. (Wouldn't it be great with red bias binding?)

Not shown: about five yards of cream wool, about five yards of white seersucker, some light blue knit, etc. etc.! In two years of sewing, I've sure accumulated quite the stash!

Fabric stash (long post!)

Inspired by this post at A Dress A Day, I thought I'd get out some of my stash so I could visualize what I've got and maybe get motivated to do some stash-busting. I love looking at other people's stashes, so therefore you will probably love looking at mine. :)



This light blue dotted swiss has been in my mom's stash for around 15 years. She originally bought it to make me a dress during a homeschool study unit on Switzerland. However, I didn't like the fabric choice and would have none of it (what an awful child!). Well, 15 years later, Mom is vindicated, since I like it now and plan to make a dress out of it. I think there's about 4 yards, but I'm waiting to find a pattern that will do justice to this beautiful fabric.



Similarly, this is four yards of black and white polka-dotted cotton that I bought recently with a coupon from a local craft store. (The polka dots are quite small -- if you're further than 3 or 4 feet away, the fabric just looks gray.) I vaguely had in mind this pattern, but since the pattern calls for five yards and I only bought four, I'm not sure what I was thinking. Hmmm!



I bought this gorgeous wool plaid at Denver Fabrics about a year ago, thinking I would make it into an ankle-length, bias-cut, A-line skirt. However, when I later looked at the fabric on the bias, I realized that the plaid does not make squares, it makes rectangles, and that wouldn't look so great on the bias. Now I'm hoping I might have just enough to make EvaDress 5569 in the longer length!



I salivate when I look at this fabric -- it is soooo beautiful! When our local Hancock Fabrics was going out of business earlier this spring, I got this length of herringbone wool for 70% off. Unfortunately there was only a little over a yard left on the bolt, but I think it's enough to make myself a simple winter skirt.



This fabric is 2-1/2 yards of Austrian challis given to me by my friend Susan. The quality is simply gorgeous. For now I'm saving it until I have a daughter, hopefully one who loves The Sound of Music so I can make her an Austrian dirndl out of this. :)

Part two coming later!

A pleasant diversion

Today's my birthday, so for a pleasant treat after lunch, Mom and I went to an antique store downtown. Stores change so frequently down there, and somehow I had missed the fact that there are three (!) antique stores within one city block! Two of them were closed, but we enjoyed browsing through the third. The prices were reasonable and we didn't have to wade through a lot of junk. My finds:


The pattern is a classy 1940s suit, in my size! I love the polka-dotted version on the pattern cover -- perfect for the Glenn Miller Festival, if I ever make it there someday. The fabric beneath it is a flour sack remnant, which I plan to make into a baby dress. I'll either sell it or keep it for my hope chest.

Butterick 5681

(click to view the full pattern front)
This was a bit of an impulse buy on eBay -- but relatively inexpensive and in my size! I probably won't make it up anytime soon since I just made a '30s wool suit this past winter, but someday...

I think it would be great in a beautiful chocolate brown tweed.

New skirt

I whipped up this summer skirt from Simplicity 3841 using a floral fabric from Robert Kaufman's Piccadilly line. I forced myself to get something bright and cheerful that I would normally admire in the fabric store, but not buy. I'm so glad I did, because I love the colorful roses!

Emily graduates

Today my good friend Emily graduated with a Bachelor's of Music from the college down the street from our house. She lived with us for two and a half years while she attended classes, so I'd gotten quite used to having a "sister" around!

For the weekend festivities, her mother made her a gown using Sense & Sensibility's 1914 afternoon dress pattern.


After the ceremony, we had a delicious lunch of roast beef, herb-roasted potatoes, cooked asparagus, and cranberry and pear green salad. I made a milk chocolate cake for dessert, which I decorated with frosting polka-dots and three fresh roses.

McCall's 9698

I bought this pattern off eBay last week, mostly because I love the way the pleats go all the way up the waist! I'm inspired to make two versions of this dress; one sleeveless with a scoopneck, and one with a bateau neckline. (Yes, I do seem to alter just about every single pattern I make.)

Anyway, what I love most of all is that the woman on the left has POODLES all over her dress!

Selling vintage patterns

Holding my breath lest I mess up somehow, I've ventured into selling on eBay Land. I've started out pretty simple, selling a few vintage patterns I picked up at a local antique store.

• Butterick 9131
  
• Simplicity 3941
  
• Simplicity 2469
• Butterick 7750

I pretty much have no idea what I'm doing, so if you have any suggestions, drop me an e-mail or leave a comment, please! :)

c. 1931 suit

Remember that EvaDress pattern from way back when? Well, I've finally finished the jacket, so I wore the whole ensemble to church today. You can see photos at my sewing gallery.

Du Barry #1035b

This is the vintage pattern I purchased to make a new dress for Easter. I know it's actually a nightgown, but don't tell! I plan on changing the skirt to tea length and adding a neckerchief collar. Here's the fabric I've purchased. I can't wait to get started!

EvaDress 6690

My mother gave me this pattern for Christmas, as well as some money to buy fabric for it. Last week I bought some beautiful light brown wool with a subtle herringbone weave, and some chocolate brown velvet for the contrasting collar. Once I make a quick mock-up of the skirt, I will be able to get started!

I have wanted a 1930s wool walking suit since my early teens, thanks in part to the television show Jeeves & Wooster.