Jewel-Toned Florals

This is a reminder to myself and everyone else that once you find a pattern that you enjoy making and, perhaps more importantly, enjoy wearing, you might as well make yourself more than one!

I made the first version of this dress back in 2013 with an extremely limited amount of fabric.

When I finally got my hands on this floral wool, I realized that I would have to find the right pattern since I didn't have that much to play with, and I didn't want to make a blouse . . . the fabric needed to be a dress.

And then I remembered Simplicity 2126.  Of course, it took a while to find the darn thing - they are always in the last place you look.  I was a little concerned that I had given it away at a pattern swap, but I finally pulled down a box that I haven't looked in for many, many years, and there it was.

It's a very classic 1940s silhouette.  And really, the most interesting thing about the pattern is the neckline.  But somehow, the combination of the pattern paired with the right fabric makes a great dress.

I should probably take a deep dive into the boxes of patterns that I haven't rummaged around in for a few years, because there are probably more neglected patterns that I have completely forgotten.

In this case, the fabric came first, which led to the rediscovery of a pattern.  But starting with the pattern in hand and searching for an appropriate fabric can also be fun.

I have been meaning to make myself another denim skirt, so perhaps I can limit the search to skirt patterns to keep from getting completely distracted by all of the pretty designs and dreaming up another ten or twenty projects to add to the queue.

I also feel as though the pattern stash is getting a bit out of hand and perhaps I could multi-task and gather a bunch of patterns for the next pattern swap that comes along.  Because at this point, I am never going to be able to make up half of the patterns that are living in the sewing room.

Dress & Belt:  Made by me, Simplicity 2126
Shoes:  Sam Edelman "Arlene"

Contrasting Florals

This dress was meant to be made a couple of years ago in the Fall season, but time got away from me and the project was put on a back burner.  I never put the fabric away because I knew that I wanted to do something with it sooner rather than later, and here we are.

One reason I chose this particular vintage pattern is because it doesn't require that much yardage, and I was working with a very limited amount of wool.  The drape and the weight of the fabric also lent itself to a 1940s style dress, so that was stuck in my mind.

I previously used the pattern to make this dress, and I do get quite a bit of wear out of the dress in the Fall months, so I thought that it was worth making another version in a very different color palette.

The pattern itself is more fragile than most of my vintage patterns, and I suspect that someone at some point left it out in the sun for a little too long as some areas are very crispy along the folded edges.  That being said, the pattern is absolutely still usable.

It is actually incredible how sturdy pattern tissue is considering its age.  This particular pattern is approximately eighty years old, and both the tissue and the newsprint instructions are still going strong except for a couple of areas.

In most of the patterns I have come across, the instructions generally see more aging than the pattern tissue itself.

This fabric was lovely to work with aside from the fact that it did like to fray quite a bit.

It's a very lightweight wool and not itchy on my skin, so it will work for a variety of seasons and temperatures.

I even found a suitable vintage zipper in my stash, which seemed fitting, so I went ahead and used that one.  It's often the zipper that gives away whether or not a garment is truly vintage, and I like to think that some of my creations could pass for vintage construction, even to a trained eye, except for those pesky ykk zips.

There really were not any surprises with this dress because I made the pattern up before.

It's a classic 1940s silhouette that is easy to wear and will definitely come in handy in my wardrobe.

And I love the colors in this print!  I did have to use a multi-directional layout to make everything fit on my yardage, but because of the multi-gored skirt I don't think it's noticeable.  All in all, I'm very pleased with how this project turned out.

Buttoned Up

It feels like I haven't worked with a 1940s silhouette in quite some time, which was an oversight on my part.

Perhaps the lightweight rayon is not especially cold weather friendly, but I think this silhouette would work quite well in a drapey wool, as well.

As for how this particular version turned out, I am very happy with the finished results.  The original length of the sleeve was a bit ridiculous, but that was an easy fix, even if I am loath to "alter" anything.  Give me a new sewing project and I will happily spend hours upon hours working away at it . . . but ask me to replace a button that has fallen off of something and I will avoid it for YEARS.  But those sleeves were down to my elbow, and they had to be fixed! 

I also do love a fully buttoned front closure.  That means that there are more buttonholes to contend with, but a front or back opening that allows me to step into a dress is always preferable to a side zip.

And there are plenty of 1940s styles that rely on a side zipper, which may be why I have been avoiding them.

So, once again, a vintage Hollywood Pattern comes through for me.

The long sleeve version of this pattern is also calling my name . . . perhaps in that theoretical wool I was thinking about . . .

Because I am really enjoying a great collar, and even though it gets a bit lost in this floral print, it's there!  And the puffed sleeves aren't too shabby, either.

Dress:  Made by me, Hollywood 579
Shoes:  Kate Spade
Earrings:  Kate Spade

A Hollywood Classic

I was gifted a handful of vintage patterns from a friend who thought I might like them, and lucky me, there are quite a few really special ones that are going to work for me!  First up is this classic shirtdress style from Hollywood Patterns.  While this particular pattern is not on the Vintage Pattern Wiki, and I don't think that the copyright is noted on the pattern envelope or instructions, it definitely fits with the classic 1940s style.  

While I haven't worked with that many Hollywood Patterns, I am quite fond of all of the ones that I have made, so I thought it was a good place to start.  And thankfully, the pattern was complete.   There was a significant tear on the bodice front, but it was complete, so I just traced a copy to ensure I didn't do any further damage.

And like so many vintage designs, there are plenty of elements to love.  First, we have a few lapped seams for the back midriff piece that extends into self-fabric ties at the front.  And of course, it's hard to miss those pleats!

The pattern suggests bound buttonholes (be still, my heart!).  But interestingly enough, it has them constructed after a large portion of the dress is already stitched together.  It also does not mention interfacing, but since I was using a drapey rayon, I decided to add a bit of structure to make those bound buttonholes a bit easier to construct.

And if I make this up again - I do love the long sleeved version - I would begin with the buttonholes to make it easier for myself.

Raw edges were finished with rayon seam binding, per usual.

And there were some hand finished bits.

I even found some lovely vintage shell buttons that were a perfect match, and I had the exact  number needed stitched to an old piece of cardboard.  I just love when that happens!

I didn't add shoulder pads, but I did want those puffed sleeves to stand out, so I added a bit of cotton covered netting to the area to make sure the silhouette looked right.

Archie approved of the dress, as do I.

The hips were slightly more fitted than expected, but that is the ideal 1940s silhouette, so I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. 

This project turned out great.  It's always fun when the fabric and design end up working so well together.  And while it may take me some time, I do think it would be nice to have a long sleeved version added to my collection of vintage reproductions.  But for now I have a few cuts of wool coating calling my name.

Floral Challis Leftovers

If I had to choose something good that came out of 2020 as far as productivity goes, it was the amount of in progress projects that were completed, and being forced to use what was on hand (since dropping in at a local sewing store was impossible for a large portion of the year, and thereafter, not something I wanted to do very often).

After making a dress out of this rayon challis, I had a small amount of leftovers.  There wasn't very much there, and I had attempted to make a couple of tops over the years with the remnants, but even playing pattern tetris didn't work.  And then I came across Vogue 8736 in the pattern stash.  And miraculously, the short sleeved version fit onto my randomly shaped rayon pieces!

I used french seams where I could since the fabric is very lightweight.

There was also some rayon seam binding thrown in for good measure, namely for the armhole seams and facing edges.

And in the spirit of using what was on hand, I found these green buttons which are pretty much a perfect match to the green in the print.

This was a pretty quick pattern to put together.

I did take the extra time to mark my buttonholes with basting thread before using a vintage buttonholer.

Who am I?!?  Machine buttonholes on more than one project in a year?  I tell you, I no longer recognize myself in the mirror.  However, now that I have discovered hand worked buttonholes, the Greist buttonholer may have some vacation time coming.