Fantasma

I finally got around to purchasing the Vintage Vogue reproduction Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress pattern that everyone around the interwebs has been making.

And since it was October by the time I got around to actually making the pattern, I decided that the perfect wearable muslin would be my annual Halloween themed frock.

I have a couple of vintage 1970s DVF wrap dresses in my closet, and they are generally made from a cotton/rayon knit jersey with a decent weight to it.  The fabric does not have any spandex in it, and I think the reason that they are so universally flattering is that particular textile choice.

Now, finding a cotton/rayon blend jersey is not something that I was able to do in 2024, which is a shame.  However, I did stumble across this adorable ghost print 100% cotton jersey on the JoAnn website.  Go figure.

It's definitely a thinner material than the originals, but I figured it was worth a try.

I did make a couple of changes to the pattern, such as interfacing the facing pieces instead of the bodice and skirt fronts . . . along with my standard fitting alterations of lengthening the bodice and taking a wedge out of the back bodice.  I will also note that the given facing pattern pieces are quite a bit wider than they are on the vintage ready-to-wear versions.  I cut off about 1/4" while serging the facing edges, but when I make this again, I will probably go ahead and significantly narrow the facings.

I also ended up serging extra bits like the front seamline that attaches the facing as well as the seamlines on the waist ties to keep the cotton jersey from rolling (this cotton really wanted to roll along the edges).

I also placed my topstitching closer to the edge than is suggested by the pattern and my vintage originals.  It just felt right for the print. 

The pattern itself is rated as a "Very Easy Vogue."  The dress does go together very easily, and quite quickly.  (I always forget how quick it is to sew garments with knit fabric.)

That being said, I wouldn't suggest this to an absolute beginner with no garment sewing experience as it might be a bit overwhelming.

One other alteration I would suggest is narrowing the sleeves if you want them to resemble the pattern illustration.  If you look closely at the photographs of the reproduction dresses on the models that are included on the simplicity.com website, you can see that there is quite a bit of ease through the sleeve.  That is not how the illustration and the vintage model photos are drafted, and my ready-to-wear versions are also quite form fitting through the arm, right down to the sleeve cuffs.

I also ended up serging about one half inch off of the length of the skirt.  The pattern suggests taking up a 3" hem, and I knew that I didn't want to do that and have to deal with all of the excess fabric from the shaped pieces.  If you want a full length dress, you may want to lengthen the skirt pieces.  In heels, and with what would have been a 2" hem taken up from the skirt as drafted, this dress doesn't quite hit the ground on me, and I am only 5'6" tall.  

Yes, this pattern uses quite a bit of fabric, but if you want the full length 1970s maxi dress experience, you won't want to shorten those skirt pieces unless you are petite.

Overall, I would highly recommend this pattern.  It doesn't get much more classic than a Diane von Furstenberg wrap dress.  Do I agree that she "invented" the wrap dress?  Absolutely not!  But it's a garment that you can throw on with minimal effort and look completely put together.  There is a reason this silhouette is still popular fifty years later and doesn't even look "vintage" to most people.

As for my ghosty print version, I am very pleased with my choice of fabric, and my finished frock!

Winter Foliage

The verdict is in . . . I love my new blouse!

Honestly, the choice of a polka dot illustration on the pattern cover drew me right in.  Because, in my opinion, one can never have enough dotted fabric in one's closet and/or fabric stash!  Alas, I do not have three yards of blue and white polka dot fabric laying around.  But I did have other options.

And I had to have that beautifully draped collar in my closet.

So it was a sure thing that I would make the pattern, the only question was . . . when will I get around to it.  I have been trying to cut right into newly purchased patterns while they are fresh in my memory instead of letting them drop out of sight and letting them languish in a pile with all of the other patterns I keep meaning to try.

I have been making quite a few vintage patterns as of late, so I decided to take a break from delicate pattern tissue and go for the tried and true Vintage Vogue series from Vogue Patterns.   With those parameters,  Vogue 1863 was an obvious choice.  Because who could forgot those polka dots!  That, and the pattern was still sitting on my sewing table.

At this point, I generally feel quite secure with Vogue Patterns and know what to expect from their sizing, directions, etc.

This pattern proved to be as easy to follow as one could expect.  With the exception of a mis-drafted dart edge, this pattern was very straight forward.  And with my choice of quilting cotton, it was very easy to piece together.

I would be interested to see how this would look in a more drapey fabric.  I suspect it would look quite lovely.

And I would not be opposed to making another, so I may have to test that theory!

Now I just have to decide if this print goes beyond holiday appropriate garb.  I am thinking it might.  Sure, it's red and green, but who's to say it's not just berries with pretty green leaves . . . and those are around all year long.  Perhaps pairing it with a black skirt would tone down the Christmas theme?!

Blouse:  Made by me, Vogue 1863
Skirt:  Made by me, Charm Patterns "Stanwyck Skirt"
Earrings:  Made by Cousin Carol
Necklace:  Vintage
Shoes:  Anne Klein "Foxie"

Classic Styling

I managed to finish my Christmas frock with plenty of time to spare, so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to make another holiday themed item.  Vogue 1863 came out earlier this year, and I was very excited to see another vintage reproduction released with some lovely details.

The collared blouse takes quite a bit of yardage, which I only realized after deciding that it was the pattern that I had my heart set on making.  Fortunately, I had enough of this berry print stashed away with my Christmas cottons, which seemed like a sign that they were meant to be paired together.

I haven't make a black floral print in some time, and I really do love them.  And this is a reminder to myself that I need to restock my black interfacing stock.  I had to piece the facing in order to get everything cut out of my scraps.

I also noted a drafting problem with this particular view.  The diagonal dart is supposed to be ironed down, not up (which is standard).  But as you can see, the cutouts for the pattern do not allow for the dart to be folded down, but instead, it must be folded up.  It's not a huge deal, just slightly aggravating, and not something I would think to check on a Vogue pattern.

My favorite method for clipping into corners is to face them with a scrap of silk organza.  This is commonly used for underarm gussets, but it also comes in handy at other moments.  In this case, the collar calls for two cuts to be made at the center back in order to attach it to the neckline.

This gives a nice clean corner without having to worry about raw edges extending beyond a line of stitching (which is what this pattern suggests, and is the most common technique that I see).

All raw edges were finished with rayon seam binding, which I'm sure comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed me on this blog for an length of time!

This is the only blouse that I have made or possibly even seen that is double breasted.  I love a double breasted suit jacket, so I decided that this would be a fun thing to try with a blouse.

And, of course, one of the best things about this design is the cuffs.

There is a fair amount of bulk between the double layered cuff, the knot, and the facing, so this pattern is going to work best with a textile that is not too thick.  Or maybe you could get away with substituting a thinner facing material . . . because I think this would be really lovely in wool.

Although not suggested by the pattern, I reinforced the places where the buttons/snaps were going to be stitched on the bodice front.

And the hemline and side seam slits were hand stitched instead of the suggested top-stitching.  The only alteration I made to this pattern was to eliminate a wedge from the back bodice, which is standard for me.  I did not bother to extend the torso length because I didn't think it would be necessary.  If I make this again, I would probably lower the opening slits at the side seams.  As the are drafted, the slits are just covered by a skirt waistband.  I could go back and change this, but I probably won't!  It works as-is, and I am not a fan of mending - in fact, I will do just about anything to avoid it.

One other addition that I made was a scrap of fabric placed at the back of the snaps.  The interfacing was probably enough stability, but I don't want the snaps to pull too hard on the mid-weight cotton.  

This double breasted design utilizes two buttonholes and two snaps which are then covered with buttons.  I suspect that the reason that this design is constructed with snaps is because the instructions have you make bound buttonholes.  The best method for finishing the interior of a bound buttonhole is to cover it with a facing.  But since two of the four buttons are placed outside of the facing (hello, double breasted design) that is not possible, so they have substituted snaps.  Interestingly enough, the instructions suggest finishing the square of fabric that binds the bound buttonhole.  I was confused by the instruction, but now I am wondering if the original vintage design or Vogue was going to suggest making four bound buttonholes instead of two.  That would mean that two of the four buttonholes would be exposed on the interior of the garment, and therefore would need to have finished edges.

Here is my attempt to show those pretty cuffs.  The dark fabric and the overcast Winter weather make it difficult to see, but they really are lovely.  The knot seems like it could be slightly shorter, but I do like the gentle drape of the cuff with the extra room.

I was excited about this pattern as soon as I saw it, and it hasn't let me down now that I have made my own version.  The other blouse included with this design has also caught my attention, and that skirt is gorgeous, as well.  And I wouldn't put it past me to make another version of this exact blouse.  Maybe I can even stomach a solid colored fabric if I am making such a lovely design.

But I will definitely enjoy wearing this blouse!  It's a keeper.

Vintage Pattern Illustrations and Novelty Prints

I haven't been all that interested in the recent Vogue Pattern offerings, which is probably a good thing.  I have plenty of other patterns on hand to try, and they are taking over my sewing space.  And I definitely need a better storage solution, because the one pattern I want to lay my hands on is never anywhere to be found.  But I find it so very hard to part with any of them because I can see myself needing something similar in the future.  What I need is a pattern hoarding intervention.  

And I was doing so well on my pattern purchasing ban.  But then I caved and made an exception for Vogue 1696.

On a positive note, I actually managed to make up the pattern almost as soon as I got my hands on it.  And I am so very glad that I did.  I can say with certainty that I felt the most "me" I have in a long time getting dressed in a petticoat and putting a ribbon in my hair for the day.  It might seem trivial, but it's the little things that are getting me through this very bizarre experience we are all living through.  I have also taken to wearing lipstick each day, even if it might stain the inside of my face mask; because it makes a difference to me in feeling ready to face the day.  And I don't think I am the only one!

While sewing this, I was very curious to see how ribbon straps fed through the bodice neckline channels would actually work on a body.

There really is no way to know how this garment is going to feel until the ribbon is in place, which happens at the very end of construction.  I suppose you could mock up the bodice, but without the weight of the very full skirt, I don't think it would give an accurate read.

When I first tried it on, I was a little concerned that the straps were not going to stay put.  One thing I did was add a waist stay to make sure that portion of the dress was secure on the body.  It also helps to pull the ribbon a bit tighter than you think you want and re-adjust the neckline of bodice front and back once the ribbon is tied.

Having worn this dress for an entire day, I can say that I did not have any issues with having to pull at the straps.  

One thing to keep in mind, though, is that you don't want to sit on or pull the ribbon ends - if that bow comes un-tied, the whole bodice is going to fall down to the waist.  You could certainly cut a shorter length of ribbon, but I rather like the drama of the ties falling almost to the hemline.

I previously noted that the pattern illustration must have influenced my color choices with this dress.  There is even a vintage photograph of what appears to be the same dress design, also with a turquoise hued ribbon.  I am sure that I have come across that photograph in the past, and perhaps it subconsciously suggested this combination of fabric and ribbon choice to me.

What I am certain of is the fact that I need more turquoise colored clothing in my life; and some turquoise shoes would also be lovely; and perhaps some turquoise jewelry.  It is absolutely one of my favorite colors! 

Dress:  Made by me, Vogue 1696
Petticoat:  Made by me
Shoes:  Colin Stuart