The Sew Weekly

Wednesday's Weekly Creation Postponed

I'm home sick with a bad cold so I won't be posting the weekly creation today. In the last week I've sewn two shirts, a bolero and an Easter dress so the updates are coming -- just a bit later. 

This Weekend's Vintage Finds: 3/29/2010

Alas, I took a break from the vintage hunt this weekend. I hadn't intended on buying anything sewing related until yesterday afternoon when I realized that I needed to buy some binding at Joann's. I'd be the first one to say that I can never leave a fabric store with just seam binding. However, lately, Joann's has been the exception to the rule. Unless I need some polar fleece (I don't), I almost never find any fabric worth buying for my clothes.

Imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto these two bolts of dotted swiss! Could it be that Joann's is actually getting some honest-to-goodness attractive (and nicely made) fabric into the stores?

If you're interested in either one of these fabrics, they go by the names Pink Posey Swiss Dot and Gabby Floral Swiss Dot.

 

No Dress Left Behind

For something I said I didn't want to talk about, you folks were determined to comment! That's a joke -- I appreciate all the feedback! In fact it motivated me to chop up the dress and try to, pardon the cliché, make it work. 

The commenters seemed to agree on three main details: lose the sleeves, lose the red belt and introduce the color black somehow. Most folks suggested adding a strip of black fabric at the bottom to add length. That was an idea I was considering until I realized that I really hate how short the bodice of the dress actually was. You can't tell in the original photograph because the belt is hiding it, but the bodice piece basically ended at the top of the belt. 

So instead of adding the black to the bottom, I decided to lengthen the bodice by adding a band to the bottom of that piece. In the process, I made it a bit more form-fitting and added a zipper to the back of the dress.

The sleeves were chopped off, as suggested, and I turned it into a halter top (the sleeves became ties). The tie on my right side looks a bit wonky because I think I faced it to itself a bit too low. That's easily fixable, though. I didn't really even notice until I saw the picture. 

As far as length goes, I didn't really gain that much but that's okay since I think it works fine with this style of dress.

While the dress certainly isn't one of my favorites, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'm especially happy that I could salvage something that I know I would have never worn again.

The "I Don't Want to Talk About It" Dress

The Facts
Fabric: Loosely knit cotton from Vintage Fashion Expo - $13.75 for 2 3/4 yards
Pattern: Simplicity 1356 from eBay - ~$2
Notions: Vintage red buttons $0.50
Year: c. 1945
Time to complete: About 6 hours
First worn: March 2010
Wear again? Not without making alterations.

Total: $16.25

I have to believe that this dress is my punishment for not keeping to my 1940s dress hiatus. As the title says, I don't want to talk about it. But I will.

This dress had such promise. I thought the pattern was really cute and I really liked the striped fabric I got at the expo. I had been wanting to do a striped bodice on the bias to get a chevron thing going on and it turned out really well. And then I made the rest of the dress.

There is so much I hate about this dress, let me count the ways:

• The length is too short because I didn't have enough fabric
• The cuffed sleeves are a disaster, both in construction and in concept
• The stripes are just too much
• It's totally unflattering and makes me (and my big arms) look like I'm to start a brawl
• It had so much potential

What's especially disappointing about this dress is that I made two dresses last week -- one was another failure and I didn't bother posting about it.

I'm going to chop the cuffed sleeves off of this one and just go sleeveless. I can't do anything about the length, but with the sleeves gone, I'll have one less thing to complain about.

UPDATE: I modified the dress and wrote about it here

Did I mentioned I don't want to talk about it?

Oh, and I didn't do my hair since I got it colored this morning.

A Tale of Five Dresses

Last week, I mentioned that the pattern I used for Penelope's St. Patrick's Day dress has been incredibly versatile. It has, in fact, been the foundation of five dresses. 

Here's a little breakdown on how Simplicity 3854 has served Penelope well.

Ye Olde Dickens Fair Dress (December 2008): After searching high and low for a decent reproduction pattern for Penelope's Dickens Faire dress (she had only just turned one and it seems like most babies wore gowns), I decided to purchase a modern pattern. For the fabric, I used home decor fabric to give it a richer feel. I made the pantaloons from scratch and the shoes were actually antique baby shoes I bought at the Alameda Antique Fair. I also made the bonnet from a modern straw hat and following these instructions.

Christening Dress (March 2009): Because Penelope was almost a year and a half when she was christened, I didn't go the traditional gown route. So I made this simple dress with a beautiful, embroidered white cotton. I just made it longer and lined it for a more finished look.

Polish Festival Ensemble (May 2009): For a local Polish festival, I wanted to make a traditional Polish dancing costume. I used the bodice piece as a guide to make the vest with the obvious changes (no sleeves, neckline). I hand-embroidered a little motif and added a ruffle to the bottom. Oh, and I used gromets for the first time ever! The skirt was simply detached from the bodice to form a skirt. And I added a simple apron. 

St. Patrick's Day Dress (March 2010): Almost a year since the last dress, this St. Patrick's day number was made with very few changes from the original Dickens Fair dress. The sleeves came off, I added the machine embroidery and sash. The length is basically the same -- she just grew and turned it into a short dress.

Louisiana Hayride Dress (March 2010): After I made my own Louisiana Hayride-inspired dress, I just had to make Penelope her own replica of the dress that Nanette Fabray wears in The Band Wagon. I made a crinoline petticoat out of yellow cotton and tulle and the dress was basic cotton gingham. The patches are simply felt squares sewn directly onto the dress. While the skirt looks modified, it's just pinned up with a pin I made from some store-bought flowers. I kid you not when I say that Pen wears this dress Every. Single. Day. 

This Weekend's Vintage Finds: 3/22/2010

Once you get used to rummaging around estate sales and flea markets, going to something like the Vintage Fashion Expo is both a breath of fresh air and a rude awakening. On one hand, the selection is amazing and bountiful, on the other hand, almost everything is expensive and, in my opinion, overpriced. But since you're also paying for the convenience of selection and well-taken care of stock, the prices can be almost justified. 

Or maybe I'm wrong about things being expensive and that Novato estate sale just ruined me for life.

And now, the fun stuff -- the purchases.

Of course I bought fabric. One vendor had the most wonderful assortment of vintage rayons. Even though the prices were higher ($5-$10 yard) than I would usually pay, I couldn't resist purchasing some pieces.

 

And, not to anyone's surprise, I snagged a few 1940s patterns.

 
 

My big find, however, has nothing to do with sewing. When I started The Sew Weekly project I had allowed myself a few exceptions to the no new clothes rule. One exception was I allowed to buy vintage and another was that I was allowed to buy something I just couldn't make on my own. It turns out that I haven't really had the desire to buy anything other than a sweater here and there.

Here's my non-sewn splurge -- four deadstock sweaters from the 1930s-1940s. I LOVE THEM!

 
 

Pattern Snobery

I'll freely admit that I am a snob when it comes to 1980s patterns, or rather, the illustrations or photographs on patterns from that decade (don't even get me started about 90s[1] patterns[2]). If the illustration or photo on the envelope is ugly -- and they most always are -- then I'll pass it right by. 

The thing that makes me a snob is that I'm unable to look past the bad hair and ugly fabric choices and accept that many of the designs could have been easily pulled from earlier -- and more fabulous -- decades. Take the 1970s, for instance. So much of the 1970s is a repeat of 1940s style. Wide pants, drastic collars, platforms, high waists -- these were all trendy long before disco. My friend, Krissy, (who isn't a pattern snob) makes many of her "40s" styled dresses from 1970s patterns. The patterns are cheaper and a lot easier to find.

Take these two patterns, Simplicity 5449 from 1981 and the Simplicity 2018 from 1947. They're practically the same dress, but the 1947 version has the edge over 1981 because it's cute and illustrated and because the waist looks like it's about 20 inches. If I made the 1981 dress and said it was from the 1940s, I think few would doubt me.

  

Or these two patterns:

    
 
Oh Simplicity 5959, if only you did your hair a little cuter and had a cute hat, you could be a contender.

And how about these two:

     

The one from 1982 screams Jane Fonda in "9 to 5." Tweak the collar and the bow a little bit and you have this cute little New York pattern from the 40s.

Finally, overalls. They haven't changed much so this one is a bit of a gimme. 

    

The point of all this?

I'm so much a pattern snob that even though I see how these 70s and 80s patterns can turn into fabulous frocks from my favorite eras, I just can't get past the ugliness of the envelopes. But that doesn't mean you should be a pattern snob too!

That's why I put these four patterns (plus 32 others!) in one lot for sale on Etsy. But if you're interested, act fast since I'm selling all 36 patterns for $25. SOLD

 
 

[1] Oh my. When writing this I, for a good couple seconds, forgot that the 1990s weren't the decade we were currently living in and equated the 1990s with contemporary patterns.

[2] That said, I don't know how Butterick manages to make the photos from their retro patterns look so darn unappealing. It's like they find the ugliest fabrics and consult the handbook of 1990s styling for their models. I've seen better styling on sewing blogs!

Vintage Fashion Expo This Weekend!

Attention folks in the San Franciso Bay Area: This weekend is the Vintage Fashion Expo! I've been looking forward to this since the last expo in September and that's before I started sewing and wearing vintage styles more religiously. Here are more details about the show hours and location.

Cutting Table : Grandma's Nautical Look

Thanks to everyone who weighed in about my posting habits! So many nice compliments and suggestions. I'm glad you all are enjoying The Sew Weekly and will do my best to try to make this place interesting to visit.*

So without further ado, here's a look at an upcoming outfit I'm planning -- what I'm currently calling "Grandma's Nautical Look."

I love this picture of my grandmother. Not only because she actually is posing, but she's got her trademark big smile, a smile which I definitely inherited. The outfit is practical and simple but just so smart. And the best part is that I have all the patterns already to make this little number.

Here's a breakdown of the patterns I'm using as well as the fabric that I've purchased.

• 3 yards of brown and pink striped ribbed stretch knit fabric from Etsy for the shirt. The pattern is Simplicity 9365 from 1971.
• The jacket is Simplicity 4120 from the 1940s. I'm using brown linen from Fabric.com. Not sure about the buttons yet.
• The pants are already made. See this post. If I'm feeling adventurous I might make another pair.

It's Spring! Sporting Dress

The Facts
Fabric: Stretch Poplin from Fabric.com - 3 yards for $7.47
Pattern: VPPL T7746 - Free (Got it for reviewing another VPPL pattern)
Notions: White buttons - $1.00
Year: c. 1934
Time to complete: About 5 hours
First worn: March 2010
Wear again? Yes, especially in Spring.

Total Cost: $8.47

I have to thank my spinning instructor and stretch poplin for making this dress possible. It's a 34 bust, 37 hip and though it's very snug, it fits well enough to wear. This dress would NOT have fit three months ago. I took a gamble in choosing this pattern because I usually sew a 36/38 bust. However, its adorableness made it irresistible. 

It's another pattern from the Vintage Pattern Lending Library. I received it free because I reviewed this dress over here (the lovingly named Ghost Dress). Like the previous dress, the directions are sparse. However, for anyone who sews, it's easy enough to put together without really needing any instructions. In fact, there are really only 3 main pieces if you decide to use a store-bought dress. I forgot to put the pocket on, but this can be remedied easily enough.

I made one major modification, however. The instructions called for either folding over the raw edges of the collar, armholes and ties and stitching OR just using bias fabric/tape to seal the edges. If I did either, I think the ties would look unfinished, especially considering that the underside of the fabric is much lighter. 

Instead, I cut out facing pieces of the straps and the neckline/armholes and double faced it all. It was easy enough. I just cut additional pieces to match the ties and raw edges, sewed it on and turned it over.

Although you can't tell from the photo, the buttons do go all the way down the front. Despite my insanely large button stash, I didn't have enough vintage buttons -- it called for 12. So I had to buy some repurposed white buttons from a local sewing shop. Once the buttons get to my hip area, they're fighting for dear life to stay on. After I wore it on Sunday, I adjusted the buttons to be a bit closer to the edge and it fits much better.

Even with the facing issue, I would make this dress again in a heartbeat. I just love it. I also love the fact that I'm wearing a dress that was in style 76 years ago! It truly is amazing to think how fashions from the beginning of the last century can still be worn and not look incredibly odd (or at least, I don't think it looks odd.)

If you're in search for inexpensive patterns from the 1930s, The Vintage Pattern Lending Library is such an incredibly awesome resource.