Perfect for Autumn, I managed to quickly finish this baby off despite the deadline for my WoW entries looming.  I cut it out ages ago while at mums’ place, well before the temperatures dropped, so it’s great to have something warmer to wear when I need it!  I went for the full skirt with long sleeves.  Here is is, almost complete over an oversize petticoat, awaiting the hand sewn hem.

It was so easy to make, I made only a hollow bust adjustment, folding about 8mm out from each side and making a minor short back and sway back adjustment.  It has a side over lapped zipper, which was new for me, and I added a waist band rather than making a separate belt, as that seems to be a good look for me, and saves having to make a belt!

There’s so much I love about this dress, the neck line, is so simple, it is easy to wear and very comfortable.  Some of my vintage sewing projects have resulted in lovely dresses with barely any wearing ease, so this is one of my most wearable so far.

With the side zipper, the back of the bodice, to me, feels like more of a feature, and I cannot wait to make another version of this dress.  Next time, I’ll take a little out of the sleeves, which feel a little baggy, and I’m planning to make a slim skirted version next, with this dress, I found the gathers very bulky, if making the full skirt again, I’ll take extra time to pleat them, this is another reason why I find adding a waist band helpful, it has helped to flatten and smooth them out somewhat.

Another minor issue, the skirt  looks great with a petticoat or two under it (I have to replace the elastic in my two… just notime at the moment!) sorry no pictures with the petticoat, yet.  It is also slightly sheer, so for modesty I suppose I should make an effort.  Though I have been wearing it out already, for winter it seems to go well with my 60s/70s boots, no doubt I will have to whip out some heels to make it more elegant another time.

This is an idea for another dress…  I have about four meters of terylene in a vibrant purple, it has some stretch, so I’m thinking I’ll play around with it first, might be able to omit a zipper, maybe.

I’m putting together a couple of outfits, matching separates mostly, to wear over the cooler months.  I’m getting a lot of use out of a pair of trousers I made using this pant pattern (sorry no photos yet..):

I thought I ought to make a couple more pairs of pants, get a bit colourful even!

So here’s the plan, make up this cape (it’s cut and ready to start)..

And this skirt from this sweet suit – I might make the suit top if I really get into the matching separates thing.

My fabric is a cool red woven wool synthetic blend, quite light weight with a nice drape to it, so I think it’s just right for the cape, and will also work nicely for a slim skirt and the trousers.  Not too heavy, so it should be perfect for autumn.  I also have a great stash of lining I was given, red and pink to use for this project.

So, this dress did my head in a bit, but now I love it.  It has been hanging in the sewing room for a month or two while I pretend that it is not there, aaaand make six new frocks to make up for it.  Here’s a close up of the fabric… a subtle floral print on a light weight cotton.

You might have followed an earlier post here.  From the first post, you will see some of the adjustments I made, running in the darts on the front and back panels, and about one centimeter down the side lengths.  The key issue with this dress/pattern is that it is a size 18, I most often work with size 14/16 vintage patterns, so this presented some challenges.

While I was able to run it in down the sides and sew the darts a tad deeper, I think that the straps are too wide.  I have been considering adding bias binding to the edges, as in the pattern illustration, and maybe some stylish buttons.  Thoughts..?

It is also going to need ironing every time I wear it!

You may recall, I’ve had this pattern floating around for a while, just couldn’t commit to a fabric.  However, a couple of days at mums, and voila, all cut and ready to go, I chose this Hounds Tooth looking fabric, a printed, rather than woven pattern, in a medium weight crepe.  I picked this up this at the op shop of my dreams, nearly six meters for about $15, and it’s super wide, great condition, and SO very green!

Here’s a close up of the fabric:

I am making the full skirt with long sleeves, so a mash up of the variations.  I’m planning for winter, and I DO have plenty of fabric, after all.

Luna tells me she makes ‘jewelry’ these days, string countless small felt leaves and petals, sequins together.

Sequins!  Can you believe how many she threaded on one by one?  Over a week or so, this was an important project – who says four year olds have short attention spans?  If Luna has the time and inclination she will work for as long as I can on a project.

More jewelry…

One of the more tricky ones to get started.

Luna’s technique involves ‘threading’ each item onto a length of coloured thread.  She has a range of different items, hand cut felt flowers, leaves, random shapes, beads, sequins, buttons, lace and fabric pieces, other old pieces of jewelry that she can use for her embroidery hoop sewing,  she is really into making her own jewels at the moment, but they are not for wearing, more for just enjoying.

I cut this dress out while on holiday, planning ahead for winter, I decided on the long sleeve (though collarless) left hand version.  With a lightweight slightly stretchy plaid fabric.

No collar, I find that it gapes just slightly, but only just.

The fit, is almost perfect, it’s really something of a wriggle dress, and I love it!  It will be perfect for winter.  I considered lining it, the fabric is slightly textured, but not uncomfortable, and I think that the fit may have been affected if I did line it.  I had some minor issues, the front darts are not quite symetrical, but this is barely perceptible, only that the vertical lines do not meet so well.  The fabric did not take to being ironed, and so spent ages pressing darts flat, and it was also very wriggly when cutting an sewing.

A few wrinkles around the waist back, and a little lose around the shoulders, which I will work on for the make – or perhaps I’ll ask for a hand to fit the back!

Brief review…

Satisfaction:

Will I wear it?  Yes!

Will I make it again?  Yes!

Fabric choice, alternatives:  This was perfect, having a slight stretch, though was a bit of a drag to keep flat while cutting and sewing.  Will try next with a woven cotton, and a bold flower print.

Technical:

Pattern fit:  Almost perfect, I had extra fabric at the back, this allowed me to correct fitting when inserting the zipper.  Also, I seem to have a shorter back, and need to remember to take a little length out of the back bodice.

The illustration on the envelope:  Very close, though I went for a longer skirt.

Instructions and assembly:  I just went my way, it’s a very easy pattern to put together, good for beginner dressmaker.

Here’s the next dress from this pattern, waiting for a few hours to sew, sleeveless, wide neck, no collar, I had just enough fabric for this one!

I ought to be completing a tax return.. but I ah, I would rather just drink tea and read sewing books.  I have quite a stack of books that drift, somewhat heavily, between the sewing machine and my bedside table.  A few are library books and will need to be returned (sob!) and some live with me.

In the tradition of the ‘Reader’s Digest Complete Guide to..’ series, this is a reliable resource, and these little babies can be bought for under five bucks, if you put the time in.. they are fairly hefty, so keep that in mind if you’re shopping online, and make sure the spine is still in good shape.  There were/are a number of editions out there, this one is from 1978.

The majority of the content is based around garment sewing, with sections near the end of the book on upholstery and other home furnishings, I’ve only referred to this for garment sewing.

I confess I’ve not read this baby from cover to cover, but use it as a go-to if I have a problem, or need more info… So here’s a bit of a run down, which is by no means exhaustive.

Fabric ‘A to Z’ not really comprehensive, but enough of an introduction to many often used fabrics, with fabric content, construction and ideas or recommendations for use.

As you might expect, detailed graphical instructions for plenty of useful techniques you probably did not pick up in high school…

And while I’m still to try my hand at bound button holes (check out those diagrams above) this section on pattern fitting has proven invaluable.  I have had a few minor though frustrating issues with bodice fitting, these pages are great!  Figure out where the pulling of wrinkling is coming from with their guide, then follow the instructions for remedying the issue, for your bodice, sleeves, skirts, pants..

I picked this up at the library, bit of an investment to purchase, it is a double up in much of the content as the Reader’s Digest Guide, but in more of a work book format, more reflective, and critiquing the readers’ use of techniques, with problem solving parts in the various chapters.

See inside, good illustrations.

These draping-on-mannequin illustrations feature throughout (that’s what fashion designers do I guess).

On my journey to identify and understand more fabrics, I also picked this up from the library. And it’s great!  Chock full of technical info on many many fabrics, uses, care, construction, finnishing recommendations for garments, this book is at the top of my wishlist.

Again, super heavy, and not for bed time reading (as much as I enjoy it, I just can’t hold it in one hand!) the only critique I have, is that I have not found crimplene, or terylene when I needed more care and style tips, sigh.. but it does cover many other vintage fabrics, so perhaps I’ll need to look elsewhere for those obscure, and no longer produced materials.  That and the garments used to illustrate just what you may make with a certain fabric are mostly poorly styled and somewhat dated.  But I can let that slide on account of the wealth of information this one book contains.

This little beauty was $1.50 at the op shop, so I couldn’t possibly turn it down.

If only for these amazing home decor ideas!

And the groovy 70s fashions…

Love those trousers!  And of course dresses…

And not just for the ladies.

Cool.

It would be awesome if this book came with these patterns, it has all the detailed instructions you need to make all the outfits photographed, plus useful techniques.  Another really great resource!

Finally, I splashed out and ordered a copy of Gertie’s New Book for Better Sewing, wohoo!

This book does come with patterns, yehaa, and all the typical vintage and couture sewing techniques you need to make a beautiful job of the garments in the book.

Love it.  Gertie, (you must have seen her blog?) goes over the basics for retro sewing, the tools you need, fabrics, sizing, pattern making, fitting and shares much more knowledge on sewing lovely garments.

Loads of beautiful illustrations and diagrams, it’s a joy to read.

I can’t wait to try out her patterns, I’m keen on her separates, the pencil skirt in particular, and the wiggle dress looks fun, she’s even thought of including a number of variations on the patterns, so you really can personalise them for the season or just your own taste.  Oh, and she’s included metric measurements in all her instructions, how often do writers thing about us non American sewers??

I probably could have carried on fine with the older sewing books I have, but Gertie’s book brings many techniques (and fab patterns) together for me.  And it’s cool to find a contemporary book that is all about sewing vintage style.  Love it.

Wohoo!  Happy new year!  I had a little bit of an op shop last week, while spending time with family in Katikati, I picked up this sweet pair of David Elman Shoes.  What a score, just – only just – my size, woo, and only four bucks!

I am always on the look out for unusual vintage fabric (within my budget) and when I spied this piece of floral light weight knit, I couldn’t walk away, yeha, only one dollar, it will make a comfy blouse.

I hope you all had a safe and fun time over the new year period, I have some new projects on the go, including an entry into the World of Wearable Art this year, fingers crossed!  More on that later…

‘Pattern Presents’.  Oh I know it’s nerdy, but it’s also a pretty way to keep my projects together.

Each bundle is a project cut, marked and pinned ready to dart or finish edges as soon as I get a moment, sometimes I will zig zag the edges on a number of projects I have on the go, if the thread colour works for a few, it seems like an efficient way for me to work, and it means that I get some reasonable chunks of a dress or outfit complete in one hit, and at times, it feels like I complete a number of new dresses in a few days.

On the sewing front, I’m looking to be more disciplined when it comes to planning for the coming season, I’m getting more organised, and I feel more confident with matching my sometimes mystery fabric choices with my patterns.  I have had a bit of a clear out, actually, more of a ‘clear and re-arrange’ of the sewing room.  Tricky as both Luna and Blake are spending more time in here with me while I work, which is great and sometimes a touch over crowded.

I have been given some cool vintage recipe books, and a recipe catalogue box, so I’m going to be whipping up some more nana style cakes and goodies.  Take a look at this little gem..  What I love about recipe books from this period is not only that they are full of amazing over the top illustrations of incredible meals, but they are often quite thrifty, so good tips on making your meals go further, substituting expensive ingredients like eggs, and sometimes dairy, so all good as far as I’m concerned.

This also means more High Teas, more cocktail parties, more bottling, and upping food production for our family from our ever increasing garden.  And more dresses.

New dress pattern, and new fabric, a pretty printed cotton, from a friend’s de-stash…  enough for a full skirt, maybe long sleeves, can’t decide!

I’m really enjoying full skirts in a way I never thought I would… and what with planning ahead for winter, I am inclined to go for long sleeves, will mull it over…

I have a number of sewing projects on the go, or waiting for some action, I picked up just under 2 meters of this vintage gingham for a couple of dollars at a local op shop, and decided it would make a sweet as home and garden frock.  Not nearly enough for a full skirt, so I thought I’d combine two of my tried and tested patterns, and use the bodice from the left and the skirt on the right.  Perfect, I think, but we’ll see, I will need to line it, so this will be a touch more work than first anticipated..

This photo from Fashion a Visual History, was an inspiration.