So I have to start out by saying that I have never liked the look of this pattern envelope. It’s just blah. But I was convinced I had to have it after seeing Mena and Debi Fry make it up, and then Meg’s blouse put me over the top. I ended up winning a Simplicity giveaway from One Week One Pattern, and this was on my list. Of course I had completely forgotten that it was coming my way when the new themes were posted and I saw this challenge. So I panicked about what I would do…until my winnings came in the mail and I rejoiced that I had been so unintentionally forward thinking.

The next step was figuring out fabric. For some reason I couldn’t stop thinking about Molly, the American Girl Doll. I guess she was my first introduction to the 40s, and I just loved her story. Anyway, her many red, white and blue outfits made me think of this blue/white fabric in my stash that was originally going to be a lining for something (I can’t remember) I never made. And in my constant effort to never be too noticeable, I decided on another grey skirt – because you can never have too many IMHO, and I thought the pants were too difficult. Also, this particular grey suiting always seems to make it into the remnant bin at Jo-Anns, and I’ve rescued it three different times.

Husband thinks the top may be a bit much. I’m still on the fence. The neck is a bit too high for comfort, and the fabric is so slippery it comes un-tucked at every movement. The skirt also needs a good anti-static treatment, it was clinging to me like mad.

I was trying to find some Americana backgrounds for the photoshoot. We basically scoured our neighborhood for cute houses with flags up. I’m afraid my victory curls were an epic failure, my hair is just too long I think, but I put on lipstick! I get points for trying, right?

Facts:

Fabric: Denim curtain from an antique store, $10

Pattern: EvaDress Pattern 4536, $20

Year: 1940s

Notions: seven buttons, thread

Time to complete: 8 hours altogether

First worn: today for pictures

Wear again: Definitely!

Total Price: $30

Friends, when the lovely Sarah of Rhinestones and Telephones asked me to be part of That’s Sew Cinematic, I was crazy excited.  I was in the middle of watching Land Girls on Netflix and I KNEW that I needed to make overalls.  I started assembling the pieces and it wasn’t until a few weeks ago when I stumbled into an antique store that I found this fabulous denim curtain.  I had originally been looking for a canvas material, but was completely unable to come up with anything similar.  When I saw this huge denim curtain was only $10, I knew that I could definitely adapt my ideas for the right price :)

Before I actually began cutting out this pattern last weekend, I freaked out. This would be the first 1940s pattern I had ever worked on, and while the EvaDress directions were very clear and good, I was worried that I was going to mess it up.  So, in order to calm my nerves a bit, I had some wine and then got to cutting. I am seriously lucky that everything turned out without weird holes.  I was also worried that sewing through denim was going to kill my sewing machine – it doesn’t do well with thick fabrics. Thankfully, it’s still running well and I didn’t break a single denim needle!  I consider that quite the accomplishment since I usually break a needle on most projects.

I spent a good portion of the eight hours of this project on fitting these overalls to my figure.  I cut out the largest size because I was panicking that there would be enough to make adjustments in the seams.  I also added four inches to the length of the pants (a good thing since the hem is only 3/4″ – I feel rather like a giant).  I ended up taking out 1 1/2″ out of the sides, but I was still glad for the safety net I had added while cutting.  Once I got to sewing, and then to the fitting, I was exceptionally pleased that I had chosen this project.  Trying to tackle the fit was a bit tricky, since I had to fit both my bottom and top and I wanted a more fitted look overall.  These overalls were also a serious trust exercise in my relationship as I had to rely on my boyfriend quite a bit to mark up the back of the overalls for the overlap.

Pardon the little white threads in the buttonholes -I had just finished these 10 minutes before and was too excited to remember to cut those out.  I used large white buttons from my stash for both the back buttons and front strap buttons. I was able to spread the back buttons out due to their size and this makes me feel more secure about the low vent that’s being closed.  I’m also a large fan of the back belt – it didn’t line up exactly with the third button due to their new positioning, but I think it works well enough.  I used navy thread for all seam and top stitching as I didn’t want these to stand out – I was going for simplicity with this garment and I wanted the overall shape to stand out most.

I am so glad I got over my initial fears of working with denim and 1940s patterns.  I love these overalls as they are comfortable, easy to lounge in, and have very spacious pockets :) Perfect for a day out about town!

The Facts 

Fabric: Shirt: red, white & blue seersucker from Jo-Ann’s in sale – 2yds, $8.98, Skirt: left over indigo denim from stash.
Patterns: New Look 6106 and Butterick 4985
Year: Contemporary
Notions: Zip $1.49, white buttons from stash, red buttons $1, fusible interfacing from stash
Time to complete: 18 hours
First worn: May 20th 2012
Wear again? Absobloominglutely!  Total Cost: $11.47

The challenge: “Out of Time: Sewing something from the 1940s”.

Gee wiz this week was fun!

There are some weeks when I have to remind myself that there’s no point in doing a challenge unless its fun…..or that I learn something from it. But gee willikers, this week was a breeze, yes sireee.

Can I stop using my very bad American 1940s/50s accent now? Phew, thank you.

Me, with an REO Speedwagon...my kids didn't get the reference

But seriously, this week WAS fun. There are going to be some vintage-lifestylers out there tutting at me not using vintage patterns and who could probably point 102 things wrong with my outfit. But the rest of you know by now my attitude to people who tut and tell me what to do….

In my defence, though I don’t actually need to offer any, this is possibly the challenge I’ve done the most research for…..and research is one of my big things to help the fun along each week anyway. Internet websites were searched and perused; there was a big hunt for info. and sources of inspiration at the library….

I watched 1940s movies (especially westerns) whilst sewing and had great fun discovering new songs and rediscovering old favourites from the decade using Pandora (I created a channel giving it The Andrew Sisters, Glenn Miller, Billie Holiday and Flangahan and Allen and it did the rest keeping me happy with big band numbers especially all week).

Yeah so some purists will turn their noses up at me using modern patterns (though I hope from my research that they fit shapes, hem length, fitting and materials that wouldn’t be too out of place if a Delorean ever transports me back to 1944) but they should see the other sewing project I had on this week – a Sacagawea outfit for Melchett, my youngest, for her school’s end of term Living Waxworks Museum! Trying to balance sensitivities towards a culture much mistreated through history whilst making sure I kept my ‘client’ happy who wanted it to look just “like the one in Night At The Museum”….hmmm, that was fun.

Aaaaaanyway….

Both patterns were really fun to sew up as well. A welcome surprise compared to some of the recent challenges. Those of you following my twitter will have seen the joyous moment when I sewed both arms to their correct armholes (ie. not the neckline as last week)….I even sewed the hook and eye on correctly first time! Wonders will never cease.

The challenge theme seemed rather appropriate as my boy, Mr D is away across the seas in service (well, in business conferences actually). I’m keeping the homefires burning for him (actually that’s the LAST thing I want to do in Phoenix at the mo, we’re into the 105s now), standing by my white picket fence until he comes back home from Malaysia, Hong Kong and currently India. But he’s home on Thursday – woo hoo!

I lie. This obviously isn’t MY white picket fence…

It’s part of our local farm museum, but it’s so gorgeous to see anything older than 1990s around Phoenix. Our home back in Shropshire, UK was actually older than the state of Arizona (which has just recently had its 100th birthday). The house behind me is considered a treasured antique, though its from 1912. They have had the loveliest hollyhocks growing there, which I didn’t realise could grow in our soil, so I might just have to have a try.

And why is this my Gal in Kalamazoo outfit? Well, many of you will know the song, but for those of you who don’t here it is with a fabulous dance routine from the Nicholas Brothers worth waiting for….and it just seemed rather appropriate while I wait a few more days for my guy to get back home. “A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I gotta guy, in Bengaluru…..” (doesn’t have the same ring to it really).

When the 1940s pattern challenge came up I knew just what I wanted to make.  Not for me one of the endless (but very charming) 1940s dress patterns that Simplicity and Butterick are re-releasing, or even a vintage dress pattern.  I was just given Advance 1868, and I think it’s just adorable.  Time to make it up!

I picked view #2 because I love the option of a contrast section.

Unfortunately, as I tackled the blouse I quickly began to feel like Goldilocks.

I’d decided to use the green and white voile that trimmed last week’s tap pants for the contrast portions of View 2.  So I needed some white to go with it.  Simple!  I’m the queen of white fabric – with the dozens of different varieties in my stash matching white should be easy, right?  Nope.  One was too white, the other not white enough.  One was too heavy, another too translucent.  None were just right.

Finally I settled on a crisp vintage cotton – a bit heavier and stiffer than was ideal, but the closest I could get to the right shade and hand.

Blast!  (actually, that’s not at all the word I used.  The one I used also starts with a B, and works better with the title of this post, but I’ve had to stop saying/writing it publicly ever since I learned it actually is a really bad word)

Then I went to cut out the pattern.  First, my pattern is a size 32″ bust.  My bust is 37″.  I was going to have to resize.

Blast! (see note above)

Then I looked at the pattern and realised I was missing the entire back piece.

Blast! (ditto)

So  I sighed, girded my intellectual loins, and drafted a back piece based off the front and the (very basic) illustration on the back of the pattern.  And I sighed some more, and drafted re-sized pieces.

Then I sewed the blouse up, and it was monstrous.  Like wearing a tent.  The whole thing got unpicked, and I ended up cutting it all the way back down to the original pattern size.

And that’s what you are seeing here:

Yeah, it’s still a bit too big.

It’s also pulling slightly funny around the neck and at the back, so I need to spend a little time with the blouse analyzing what went wrong, deciding if I can fix it with this version, or if I can ever be bothered to make another version.  I do like things to be just right.

The back was supposed to button all the way up, but I’m flat enough that I can get away with a seam and just one top button, so I did.

With the blouse I’m wearing my ‘Please don’t photograph me’ 1930s skirt, which turned out to be a bad idea, because the skirt’s anti-photography curse struck again, and all the interesting photographs I tried to take at the old Museum Building (an icon of early 1940s Art Deco architecture in New Zealand, and a fantastic place to do photoshoots) turned out terribly, and I had to do a quick catch up session in front of the boring white wall.  It’s really hard to photograph yourself with a timer!

Despite the super happy photography, I’m not sure how I feel about the blouse.  It’s very…blouson.  And my mother was always very anti-broad shouldered styles, so tackling the 1940s always makes me nervous, as it feels weird to accentuate the shoulders.  But I managed to wear it all day as I ran errands around town, so it’s growing on me.

I still have a few bugbears regarding the whole thing, but hopefully one day Goldilocks is going to be skipping happily through the woods in this!

Just the facts, Ma’am:

Fabric: 3/4m white cotton lawn, 1/4m green and white checked cotton voile.

Pattern:Simplicity 1868

Year: early 1940s

Notions: One vintage hexagonal pearlized button, thread.

Hours: 3

Wear again?: Yes, though I still have reservations.

Make again?: Maybe?  I’m pretty sick of it for now, but I would like to conquer this pattern!

Total cost: $2.50 or less

I am much more au fait with the 50′s as you probably know, but I have been wanting a pair of high-waisted 40′s jeans for ages. I had some fun with 40′s slang in my post this week.

Mena and Debbie have used this pattern, those broads know their stuff. Wow, this pair of pants just flew together! I cut them out and started sewing – 20 minutes later I was trying them on! Hooray! Of course it took another 5 hours or so, to finish them properly.

They were a little gapey in the waist so I took them in through the centre back and then moved the darts over, to the centre of the back pieces, as they looked weird, too close together, after my alteration. The waist band was too small – had to remake that. Not sure what went wrong there!

These jeans are the cat’s meow! They make your gams look really long! And totally hide your muffin top! I added 1cm to the outside leg tapering out from hip level to a full 1cm at the hem.

I also added a huge hem to finish with approx 7cm cuffs – as I noticed these was a feature of some 40′s jeans in my research. I wish I had noticed that they often just left the raw selvidge at the sides, that would have looked keen. But I cut mine in the middle of the fabric so I had to finish them properly. I am not sure if I will keep this feature – I would love your opinion on whether to keep them or not.

I used a metal zip because they are very heavy weight denim. I sew with an industrial sewing machine which is great for this kind of thing. I think I dug out my leather needles and used them to attach the waistband and top stitch it. There was quite a lot of “hand wheeling” going on but I broke lots of needles sewing through the bulk.

I know I will wear these a lot and I definitely want to make more – I highly recommend this simple pattern, it’s swell.

All the photos on this post were taken by my dad in Sydney for his birthday this week – we went out for a Yum Cha lunch before the photos (that explains the creases in the jeans) thanks Dad – wonderful job. Time to scram and make birthday cake.

More over on my blog. More about the top here.

The Facts:

Fabric: liberty of london tana lawn “phoebe”
Pattern: self drafted, inspired by simplicity 1975
Year: 1940s
Notions: zipper
Time to Complete: 6 hours including drafting
First Worn: May 25, 2012
Wear Again: not until i fix it properly
Total Price: ~$45
Challenge Theme: “1940s”

i was very excited to take this challenge as an opportunity to play with an idea i had long coveted: copying simplicity 1975 by drafting the bodice myself, from scratch. see, i never purchased the pattern because the sizing is so off i’d have ended up re-drafting the thing anyway to get it to fit properly, and i wanted to learn how to draft a strapless bodice that might actually fit me.

it took me two tries, because i misunderstood some measurements in my pattern drafting book, but my trustly sloper did not steer me wrong and i ended up with a very serviceable strapless bodice with princess stylines. step one completed!

skirt salvaged from ill-fitting vogue 2961

then i had to disassemble a much-loved but little-used garment, my vogue 2961. it was one of my early garment attempts, and while it was actually pretty f-ing awesome for a girl who had only been sewing a few months, that girl, now with almost 3 years’ experience, cringed every time she put it on and it sagged in all the wrong places. i saved the skirt (mostly out of laziness and fabric stinginess) and constructed my bodice, including a boning underlayer and bra cups (construction details here).

it still needs tweaking, because in order to finish it this week i had to take a few shortcuts that need to be fixed in order for this dress to have the glory it deserves. firstly, because i purposely constructed the bodice with more torso than i should have, i need to tweak the fit near the waist. you may be able to see in the photo that there is a lot of blousing where the bodice meets the skirt, and that is because i need to shorten the torso of the bodice so that it matches the width of the skirt more accurately. i did it this way because otherwise, i was afraid the waist would be too short. according to my moulage, i am absurdly short-waisted, but i’m still in denial about this, so i figured i’d rather have more torso than not enough.

also, because i can only go to the buttonholer on saturdays, i closed this (temporarily) with a CF zip, which is throwing off the perfect fit under my arms and just at my bust. the bodice was drafted to accommodate the overlap of a button placket, not a zip.

all in all, i’m quite thrilled with the final result, because now i have a wonderful strapless sloper to work with! i already have two more tops rarin’ to go and plans to fix a long-stranded UFO that i accidentally fit too small. (two inches at the CB! how does that even happen?!)

i call this dress the “field of poppies” dress because the fabric reminds me of a spring day in israel two years ago during the passover/easter celebrations.  from what i was told, there is a very brief period in the spring where the temperature is moderate enough for the flower fields to just explode with color.  we happened to be there on one of those days and spent a rapturous hour running through a field…next to a gas station.  random, right?

]]> http://www.sewweekly.com/2012/05/the-field-of-poppies-dress/feed/ 2 http://www.sewweekly.com/2012/05/the-elsie-phyllis-dress/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-elsie-phyllis-dress http://www.sewweekly.com/2012/05/the-elsie-phyllis-dress/#comments Fri, 25 May 2012 05:34:50 +0000 Casey Sew http://www.sewweekly.com/?p=31092 [...]]]>

Facts:

Fabric: Vintage Printed cotton from inherited stash. (possibly 40s?) Thrifted Poplin

Pattern: Fashion 4360 (1947)

Notions: 1 regular zipper from stash

Time to complete: 12hrs

First worn: for photos

Where again: I love it… but I may have made it a bit too period accurate to feel comfortable for everyday.

Cost: $15 for the pattern (ouch! but I was in love with that heart shaped lapel.. and it was at a vintage fair), $1 for the poplin.

Oh I hope I get this in on time! I left it til Monday to start this dress. I’ve been a bit nervous about opening this pattern. It looked so fragile, I thought for sure it would be a mess inside and I’d regret my $15 spend. But let me tell you… opening this envelope was the most fun part!! Inside I found some patterns drafted on newspaper. 1947 Newspaper to be exact. So then I spent way too much time reading snippets about ration cards, the death of one of ‘princess’ elizabeth’s seamstresses that was working on her wedding dress, and some great advertisements.(my fave was the bottle of mortein bug killer that had ‘With Extra DDT’ proudly emblazoned on the label.) I assumed the patterns would be tracings of the original maybe with some fit changes.. but it seems the original owner decided to draft a different skirt shape and a slightly different collar. And.. every pattern piece was labeled with ‘Cool pattern – Elsie Phyllis’. Seriously.. someone in 1947 labelled their pattern as ‘cool’!! love it.

I’m betting that Elsie’s 1947 ration of fabric didn’t allow for the 4 wide panels of bias cut skirt required. Her version is much slimmer and multi panelled cut on the straight. I was just barely able to make the original dress with my 3.5m of 34″ (after wash) fabric. Her collar pattern is intriguing as well. I think maybe she ditched the top collar and just did an extended version of the lapel with the added scallop. Hers is also a bit narrower. I may actually make Elsie’s version next time.. just for fun.

The instructions were pretty good for a pattern this old. By that I mean… there were at least some pictures and even the patterns had a few stamp markings on them. It even included an instruction for grading the pattern one size up or down. I used their method for grading the bodice one size down (which was just taking a half inch off the entire side included the sleeve and underarm) and it worked out just fine. My other 40s options are from home journal magazines and have no pictures in the instructions and no markings on the patterns. I’m glad I went with this one for this week.

I am a bit disappointed that the lapel doesn’t really look like the one in the illustration. Seems like there was a bit of artistic license used there. But it would be pretty easy to redraft it to get that real heart shape I was imagining.

I’m loving the 40′s use of tucks at the waist instead of darts, and I love those little extended sleeves. Oh and of course.. who couldn’t love giant pockets!

Confession – this isn’t the final hem.. I need to let it hang for a while. As an interim measure I’ve just done an overlock roll hem.

So.. What do you think? Is it too 40′s for everyday.

I’ve noticed that modern fabrics used for vintage patterns have more wearable results… but I have a rather large stash of vintage fabrics and patterns (terrible I know.. haha) So I may just have to start embracing period dressing.

oops.. I almost forgot.. Yes this is a different colourway of the same fabric I used for my shorts last week. My Nan in law was like that.

Fabric: Silk

Pattern: Vogue Vintage 8728

Year: Circa 1946

Notions: Thread, Shoulder Snaps

Time to Complete:  8 Hours; 1.5 Hrs. Cutting Pieces, 6.5 Hrs. Sewing

First worn: To Work for Photos

Wear again? Yes

Total Price: $24.75 – Fabric was $22, Notions were $2.75

Marc Chagall - I and the Village

This week I reused my “Oscar Challenge” pattern but it looks completely different due to the fabric I chose. Something I learned from SewWeekly – patterns can be reused! I fell in love with the design of the fabric when I was shopping for the “MixItUp Challenge”, the colors immediately felt like a Marc Chagall painting, love his color palette. Sewing a pattern a second time around is faster because I knew I could omit the zipper for a pull over dress. Also I added the shoulder snaps to keep the light weight fabric from slipping off my shoulder. Have to say, I prefer the polysilk ( I used for  last week’s “MixItUp”) vs this silk, it was a difficult to cut – it’s very delicate and easily snagged and when serging the edges it was a slow process due to the thin fabric but totally necessary because it seemed to fray easily. This outfit will probably have to wear for special occasions only, I don’t think it would hold up to a typical day at work.

The "Marc Chagall Inspired" Dress - Front View

The "Marc Chagall Inspired" Dress - Back View

The Facts
Fabric: mystery fabric/perhaps a cotton blend/light blue dotted
Pattern: Simplicity 1880
Year: modern, but it looks retro to me
Notions: 6 light blue glass buttons, 12″ invisible zipper
Time to complete: including pattern cutting, alteration, sewing/finishing probably 10 hours
First Worn: May 2012
Wear Again: Yes!
Total Price: pattern $.99, notions $3, fabric from my stash

And I’m back! Hello everyone, I’ve been M.I.A. for quite awhile. I’m currently pursuing my Elementary Education degree and this past semester really threw me for a loop. I’m happy to report that I made it through relatively unscathed and with only 2 semesters left. But, you didn’t come here to hear about my education plans, you came for the dress!

I’ve been wanting a shirt waist dress for a long time. When this pattern came along I picked it up. I had no idea what fabric I would use or even when I would make this up. I knew it would have to wait until after school was out. When I saw the forties theme on my dashboard I had a eureka moment. I knew that this pattern would translate to a ’40′s silhouette on my body.  I thought about how women of this time made do with what they had and even sometimes used flour and feed sacks for fabric. This fabric reminds me of those bags.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a slow sewer. I think I get really caught up in all the little details of a garment and lose track of time. I get a tad obsessed with crisp corners and straight seams.

I’m not sure if any of you have made up this pattern yet, but you definitely should if you haven’t. The construction was straight forward and easy enough. The sleeves have a nice little pleat/fold detail that’s pretty interesting. I did have to alter the bodice to accommodate what my momma gave me. I added 2″ of width to each bodice piece. I also added 1.5″ length to the front and back bodice. This is by far the most successful bodice alteration I’ve ever done. I also added 2 more buttons to the front placket so that I could button it all the way up, if I’m so inclined.

Most of my accessories are current. The shoes and belt are both from chain stores that I’m sure we’ve all been to. My bag is from a great local antique store that has a fabulous basement full of vintage clothing and accessories. I am in love with this bag, and as a bonus it was $18, far less than I spend on modern bags. Bonus! I’m all about a bargain. I used PicMonkey to alter all of my pics. I really like their site. I think I might even like it better than Picnik. It’s very straight forward. If you’re looking for a site to edit your photos, they’re it.

I didn’t go truly historically accurate with this ensemble. For one this dress is above my knees, and for another I don’t have on any pantyhose. Scandalous!
Thanks for taking a look.  I’m so glad to be back!

Facts:

Fabric: light navy cotton from stash, BurdaStyle dress seen here

Pattern: Top: Butterick 4685, BurdaStyle dress

Year: 2011

Notions: elastic, thread

Time to complete: 5 hours altogether

First worn: yesterday for pictures

Wear again: Top: Yes definitely!  Skirt: Meh.

Total Price: $0

Friends, in doing this challenge, I learned something very important about myself: I do not like to put patterned garments together.  I like having one bold color piece and one patterned piece in an outfit, but two patterned pieces makes me feel like an impostor. I am a huge fan of the amazing ladies that can pull it off, but I don’t have the confidence to make it work in public.

So this face pretty much says it all when I attempted to combine these two pieces into an outfit.

I decided to work with separates since I knew that if it didn’t work out the way I wanted it to, I could still wear these pieces independently of each other. Besides, I desperately need more separates in my wardrobe, and these are definitely cake pieces.

The top was a total breeze to put together!  I added lace a la View A of this top but then I hated and ripped it out with my hands.  So no lace, no bows – just letting the oblong dots shine. I love the lightweight cotton – it’s absolutely perfect for the upcoming humid weather that will hit Chicago in the next few weeks.  We’re getting a taste of it today, and I am currently wearing this shirt and it’s easy and breezy in here. I may need to make more of these to wear around the apartment – all the windows make it a little greenhouse-y in here.

Now onto the skirt…

The skirt was part of the BurdaStyle dress I made as part of the BurdaStyle Sewing Book.  I never got over my loathing of that dress and it was taking up valuable space in my closet.  So I chopped off the skirt, made a waistband facing and stitched it all up.  The only problem is – I still don’t know if I like it.  I might not like it right now because it’s flannel so I’ll check again in the winter – if I still hate it then, it’s going into the clothes swap pile.

Overall, I’m glad I participated in this challenge because it made me realize my aversion to multi patterned outfits and it forced me to make this amazing blouse!  Now I need to confront why so many of my Me Made garments are blue, but that’s a thought for another day…

Have a great day all!