Something New

I am a pattern- a- holic.  I obsessively buy them though I have boxes and boxes of patterns.

Some new ones:

I only have one other original 1920s pattern so when I saw this on Ebay with no bids I grabbed it.  I do have an a 1920s themed event that I go to in September so maybe I can make this up instead of wearing the same dress again.

A new late 30s pattern.  Isn't it yummy?  I have traced this one off already but have not yet started on a muslin.

Fluttering By

First take a look at the teeny tiny vintage buttons that I am going to use.  

Pretty and vintatge

I bought these years ago but had no idea they would be so very small.

Blurry but check out the button next
to a dime.  See ....super small!!!

 Because I am not doing the cape, the pintucks will be on display.  I am going to punctuate the pintucks by using these buttons.

Also because I am not using the cape sleeves, I need to draft new sleeves.  I want flutter sleeves which are still correct for this era.  How to draft the sleeve?  First, I grabbed a dress I own with those types of sleeves and traced it off.  It looked odd.  Next, I started going through the pattern collection looking for a pattern with that type of sleeve.  Luckily I was able to find one.  Traced it off and what do you know it looked odd.   

Weird sleeve pattern

But it also matched what I traced off my dress so I took a deep breath and went for it!!

A Perfect Opportunity

Since, I need a pencil skirt for the fantasy outfit, I might as well muslin one that can possibly be a wearable muslin.  So, I just spent the past couple of hours wading through my vast pattern collection to find what I was looking for.  Meanwhile, I popped some khaki fabric into the washing machine.

I found the pattern I wanted and found an entire box of patterns I forgot I owned!  I really do not need to buy any patterns for a very long long while.  I just wish patterns would stop tempting me!

The chosen pattern is Advance 9689.  I did dither quite a bit over the pencil skirt patterns I own.  Pencil skirts, on the whole, scare the bejebbers out of me!  My athletic thighs are not meant to be paired with pencil skirts. This pattern looks to be from the early 60's based on the model's hat.




I hope to be able to throw this one together except for the zipper rather quickly.  I will not have access to my 25 cent zipper store over the weekend and I can no longer pay more than 25 cents for a skirt zipper!

You Wouldn’t Know It!!

I have been sewing up a storm and have nothing to show for it!  Basically, I have been making muslins trying to get a pattern for a fantasy type outfit.  It has been slow going and really nothing picture worthy. 

What am I trying to make?

This is a sketch of the basic idea.  It is for a costumed event.  I thought putting this rather simple outfit would be easier than it is.  The sleeves have been a nightmare.  Gee even finding fabric was a process.  I did decide on fabric last week and it was not cheap….at least for me!

More Patterns

The other $1 patterns I picked up over the weekend. 

Anne Adams 2664

Anne Adams

Simplicity 2728.  I think this dress is so cute and my friend with whom I was shopping just turned up her nose at this one.  I do not get that!

Simplicity 2728

This is Simplicity 1184.  There is no envelope for this one.  My friend also did not like this pattern but I think it has a lot of potential.  Of course, the line drawing tends not to be as inspirational as the envelope art.

Simplicity 1184

You might also wonder what the heck is going on with Simplicity 3162.  I have been plugging away on this dress but only a few minutes at a time.  Seriously it has been, 5 minutes here and maybe 10 minutes there with the resulting very slow progress but constantly moving forward.  I have put in the plackets and am sewing in the hooks and eyes.  I am cheating again and using the hook and eye tape.  It really is so much simpler with the hook and eye tape.  Once the hooks and eyes are in, I only have the hem and buttons to finish up.  I am hoping that I will have the dress done tomorrow night……maybe.

Pattern Buying Moratorium Lifted

I have been so very good.  Incredibly good for me!  I have not bought a new pattern since January!  This is me!  No pattern….since the first week of January.

Well, I lost the plot over the weekend and bought a few patterns.  I was forced to go to a costumer’s yard sale.  Yes, forced to go….that is my story and I am sticking with it!  One of the sellers had bins of patterns.  One bin in particular had 30’s and 40’s patterns!  Upon asking how much for a pattern, I learned they were all 1$.  WHAT!!!  So I scrambled and picked up a few.  I only had $5 on me…..I really went without the intent to buy or I would have had more $$ on me.  So, I bought 5 patterns at $1 each.

The envelopes of the patterns are in shreds or, in one case, missing completely.  Didn’t care, for a $1 I was willing to give them a shot!

One of the patterns is Simplicity 4662.  Note, this picture is from the Vintage Pattern Wikia because the envelope is in such bad condition.

 

I love the coat.  I must give this coat a try!

Also, Hollywood Patterns 739.

This envelope is in the
best condition

Another 1940s dress but isn’t lovely???

But then my camera battery crapped out.  Will post the others tomorrow.

Apparently I Like This Style

Because I was pleased with the outcome of Simplicity 3835, I thought I would go through my pattern stash and find another 1940s pattern to work on.  As, I went through the boxes, I found this one:

Hmmmm…it looks familiar………

In fact, doesn’t it look rather like this one?

 

You know, the one I just finished?

Okay, so there are some slight differences but the effect is really the same:

            Butterick has a 4 gore skirt and Simplicity has a 2 gore skirt
            Simplicity has ties and the Butterick has a sash
            Butterick has a variety of neckline options, Simplicity does not  
           Simplicity has gathers at the bust, Butterick has gathers at  the shoulders

           Simplicity is a little shorter

I never looked at these two patterns together.  I had the Simplicity pattern for AGES!  The Butterick pattern I bought last year for a lot of money at a vintage show.  I saw it and HAD to have it.  Hmmmmm…..I guess I really like this style.  My first instinct was that I need to make up the Butterick pattern now.

However, I have decided not to make a clone but try something different.  Off to continue my search through the patterns. 

One Steampunk Skirt Done

 Even with redoing ever flat fell seam at least once  and with absolutely no instructions the skirt is finished. 

In process: dealing with evil
pleats!!

There were many hair pulling moments but I am not dissatisfied with the end result.  The pleats were another issue.  I cannot get my head around how to make pleats.  I mean I know how to do it in theory and I did it for the brown skirt.  However, it takes me a hours to get them to work correctly.  The first time I tried the pleats, I did them completely backwards.  Thank goodness I had only basted them in!

Back of skirt and
yoke.

I added the yoke and added some hooks on some self fabric strings I made.  Adding the grommets to the back of the yoke was almost a fail.  The grommets I have just were not working but then I found some scrapbook grommets which did work.  Whew.

Close up of buttons and
the hooks

I found the buttons in the same store as the hooks.  I love the buttons!! My sewing machine did not love putting in the button holes!  In fact, the machine came to a halt when there were 5 buttonholes left.  Only after a significant rest was the machine able to trundle on. 

I would like to add a few more utility strings.  I have 2 more hooks and a bunch of D rings that I could add to the skirt. 

While I like the resulting skirt, I cannot recommend this pattern if you do not have a lot of sewing experience.  Not only do you need to figure out what order and how to put the outfit together, you need to determine what facings you will need and construct them.  Pattern instructions are a security blanket for me.  I feel safe knowing that if I run into problems, I can just refer to the instruction.  Here, I was flying without the net and as I put this skirt together I kept wondering if I was doing things correctly.  The seam ripper was used more in this project than any other project for a long while.  

Steaming it up

So next on the agenda is a steampunk outfit for an outing with friends.  I really do not get steampunk for women; it seems to me it is just Victorian wear in brown or khaki.  After much research, I found that steampunk wear goes as far forward as WW 1 so I am throwing out the Victorian and will go for something Edwardian.

Looking around the internet, I found a free Edwardian walking skirt pattern and thought about using that pattern.  But then I remembered that a couple of years ago I bought this pattern; the pattern is dated 1905 on the information provided in with the pattern (but on the website it is dated as 1914…who knows what to go by)  so a good time period for this outfit.  I have no idea what I was thinking when I ordered this pattern, much to young for me.  But the skirt portion I can use!  And since I have it in hand, that is what I am going to do.

I have a very heavy army green brushed twill, rather a denim weight, which I will use for the skirt.

I plan to do the view with the buttons down the front and the corset type yoke.  I think I can make those details kind of steampunky!!  The only problem is that this pattern has a 25 inch waist and I do not.  I will need to grade up the pattern a little bit to make it work on me.

Changing Gears

Yum! Turquoise and brown - perfect
for a sun dress.

Because the 1940’s skirt was giving me a headache, I decided to work on something a little more fun.  I wanted to use this fabric.

But what pattern.   Trolling through my patterns and pulling out a few maybes, I finally went with View 2 of Simplicity 1620.  I only had a couple of yards of fabric and thought not only will I be able to get this dress out of the yardage I had but also it would show off this Hawaiian print.  As you have probably already noticed, I love a Hawaiian print.  Note, this is the FIRST Simplicity pattern I have attempted.

This scan if from the vintage
pattern wikia.  Mine has a
32 bust and a ripped envelope.

I traced off the pattern and then started measuring my yardage. I measured and measured and measured some more.  I had barely enough fabric to make this dress.  Granted, I could make the skirt less full but what is the fun in that?

So to be a little different and because of the lack of excess fabric, I made a muslin of the bodice….actually, I made 2 muslins of the bodice.  First muslin included a FBA.  It was HUGE!!  I showed sewing friends who confirmed it was way too big for me.  So, I quickly whipped up another muslin.  Second muslin did not have an FBA and it fit perfectly per the consensus of the group!

What is happening here?  This is the second mid-1950’s dress that did not require an FBA.  Hmmmm …..does this mean I should only wear clothes from this era?  Were patterns built for a C cup?  Interesting development and totally taking me by surprise.  Has anyone else found this to be true? 

The Skirt with One Piece

Next up is Du Barry 5551 with a copyright date of 1943.

Unfortunately, this pattern was
in this condition when I
purchased it.  I wonder what
ate the envelope

I wanted to give this skirt a try to see if I liked it because I wanted to make a little summer suit with this pattern.  Also, I am running out of time to make my April skirt.

See, one main piece.  Odd!  I get the
need to save fabric but this does not
do that

Turning the pattern over, imagine my surprise when there is just one piece for both the front and back of this skirt.  Let me explain, the same pattern piece is both the front and the back.  Wait….there is a waistband so two pieces.  But the important bit is just one piece.

   Huh?  Really?  How is this going to work

Who is Jerry Parnis?

See, it even has a picture of her.
Why can I not find more information about her
and her dresses?

Advance 7065 is an American Designer pattern and the designed of the pattern is Jerry Parnis. 

My search has uncovered that she is the sister of designer Mollie Parnis  (who is quite well known and there is a good deal of information about her), and the sister of Peggy Parnis, a lingerie designer.  She was married to Ben Cahane and worked under the label of Jerry Parnis, Incorporated which manufactured moderately priced dresses.

There must be more information out there but I cannot find it.  I would love to see more of the designs she created.

Palate Clearing Project

The Civil War Dress has been one of the most frustrating sewing experiences for me.  And heavens, it is not even done!

Let's hope there is truth in
advertising and it is Very Easy

I need something quick and hopefully a whole lot easier right now.  Something that I can finish with minimal or no fitting issues.  You know, a project that allows me to reign supreme over fabric and machine.  Yes, something that can be accomplished with no tears!

So I give you my new project.  Yes, a skirt that is labeled “Very Easy.”  This Vogue is from the late 70’s.  I know, this is as big a departure for me as the dreaded Civil War Dress.  However, the pattern has only 3 pieces including the waistband!  This seems very easy indeed.


The plan is to make either View A or B.  The views are the same the only difference being the length of the skirt.  Since I am so short, I fear a View A (the shortest) will be the equivalent to View B ( the next shortest) on me.

Please Pleat Me

Wow, apparently I do not understand pleats.  Or maybe I just don’t understand English.  It is one of the two.  I spent hours trying to figure out the pleats on this skirt.  When I followed the directions, they way they read to me, I came out with a skirt that looked nothing even the most remotely like the pattern picture. 

I think something is missing
from these instructions

I have a degree …hell I even have an advanced degree….still the instructions made no sense!  I tried it another way…nope that wasn’t it either.  At this point, it just seemed like the pattern picture and the instructions were mocking me. I eventually had to throw away the instructions and just try to recreate the pattern picture.  After some trial and error and a couple of hours….I figured it out….miracle of miracles!

I was then exhausted and had to take a nap!

2011 – My Year of the Skirt

I have decided that I want to make one skirt for every month this year.  As I am currently unemployed, I can get a jump start on this skirt making.  I am enjoying how quickly skirts come together, even if you line them.  I have added a little counter to keep track of the number of skirts completed.

Without further ado……drumroll……the next skirt for 2011 is: McCall 8086 copyrighted in 1950.  I had traced this pattern in December so it is ready to roll.

This is going to be a first for me: a skirt with pleats.  I have made knife pleat trim for a Victorian ball gown but never a pleated skirt.

Material will be a heavy chocolate brown cotton blend.  It has a little stretch to it.  I hope it is not too heavy for the pleats!

First Project for 2011

After some thought, review of the pattern stash and fabric stash, I have decided on this pattern to start out the new year:  Butterick 5882, View B

Not too hard so that I will get frustrated but somewhat challenging with 4 insets. 

The fabric is cut out and ready to sew.  I think I will only line the skirt up to the insets.

Do Your Trace?

I trace all of my patterns.  I like to make changes and adjustments to the patterns so tracing is a must in my book.

The question then becomes: What do you use to trace your patterns?

I have a thick sort of tracing paper that I have no idea what it is.  It appeared magically at my office door one day and even though I told the delivery person that it was delivered to the wrong address and left it outside the office door for a week hoping the original owner would check tracking and find it….the roll of paper remained.  So after a week, I dragged it inside the office to join the two tables that had previously been misdelivered to the office.  So this tracing paper of unknown origin has been what I primarily used to trace patterns. 

The upside is that it is not too opaque that one can trace anything with it.  The downside is that it is stiff and rather hard so fitting with this paper is impossible.

I also have some  large pads of post it type paper.  I have tried using this with marginal success.  It works well on modern patterns printed on heavy paper.  It does not work well on any other patterns.

So, investigating options I wanted to give soil separator a whirl.  It is cheaper than the famed Swedish tracing paper but I had read that it is just as good still being fabric.  I considered medical exam paper which was cheaper still but really wanted that fabric so that I could try pin fitting.

The other day, I awoke with a mission.  I have free time so I will head off to Home Depot looking for soil separator.  Off I drove, through some substantial post Christmas police activity, through the gauntlet of a parking lot, weaving through those migrant day workers asking if they could assist straight to the garden center.   Lo and behold, what did I find?  Why nothing with the name “soil separator.”  Nope, nada, not a thing.  However, I did find a product called “weed blocker.”  Helpful hint here:  if you do go to Home Depot or another home improvement center ask for both soil separator AND weed blocker.

This is the roll of commercial weed blocker - it is 4 ft by 50 ft.

What the weed blocker actually looks like.
If possible it is even darker  (camera flash)

Weed blocker is made of fabric that looks like a interfacing web so I was excited.  But then I noticed the colors: black, brown and grey.  What?????  That won’t work.  After discreetly opening a corner of the grey, it being the lightest of the colorways on offer, I determined that it was not completely opaque and could work.   It was also 4 feet wide which you have to love.  So, it was purchased, dragged to the car and off home I went.

This weed blocker would be perfect if not a dark color. 

It works though I did have about an hour of problems finding a pen, marker or pencil to write on the stuff.  Once that hurdle was over, it was easy sailing.  It is just light enough to work and works fine with printed patterns.   With non-printed patterns, it is more difficult but I have found it works.

With the help of the weed blocker I have more than accomplished my December pattern tracing goal!  

Up Next

Recently, I went on a spat of skirt pattern buying so I knew the next project would be a skirt.  I also knew I would want to line the skirt even though I had never done that before.

However, since the last project, which I do love, took a really long time to complete, I think I am going to forgo the lining at the moment.  I may change my mind; it is a woman’s prerogative to do so. 

I also knew what fabric….a green, somewhat a cross between lime and khaki green.  No photo since I just popped the fabric into the washing machine.

I then dithered around trying to decide on which skirt pattern to use.  After a lot of dithering, I decided to go with this one:

Vogue 6329 from 1952; it is perfect for work.  Imagine my surprise when I decided to look this pattern up on the vintage pattern wiki to find that the actual pattern sitting on my desk is the same pattern on the wiki.  How do I know?  Easy….it has the exact same writing about Carolyn’s dark green “coudroy’ [sic} on it.

Don’t you just love it when there are notations on the pattern?  I do.  I know some of you are collectors and want a pristine envelope and pattern.  Not me, I don’t mind a torn envelope; it just shows that the pattern has had some use.  Not a bad thing in my opinion, but I am not collecting.

In this case, the pattern looks pristine so I have to wonder if it was ever used.  It is not a printed pattern so it is going to be a little harder to trace…argh.

Pain in the Side

So, the next step was sewing up the sides all the way through the sleeves.  Sounds easy doesn’t it?

Not so much with the bit that would be under the arm.  I guess you would call these kimono sleeves…maybe.  I don’t know. What I do know is that this underarm part required a lot of re-dos.  In fact, it got to the point where I would sew a few stitches, stop.  Take a look from the right side, re-pin, sew, take a look.  Lets sum it up by stating I have no idea how many times I ripped that thing out or how many times I sewed it back up.  But I do estimate that 2 1/2 hours passed.

It looks ok.  Not super happy with it, but it works.  Also, the back portion seems unusually HUGE.  I made no pattern alteration to the back pieces….so what is up with that.

So far, I can say I am not a big fan of this Polynesian pattern.

The Confusion Sets In

The instructions in this Polynesian pattern just make no sense.  I am used to muddling through with little to no instructions or the instructions of the Big 4.  In a way, no instructions would be best because when those instructions are there, well I have to read them.  In this case, first I read, then I am utterly confused.  This should be moving forward faster.

It’s not.  I know it is me.

So, I have this so far

I do like the pattern placement of the flowers in the front.  There will be more bias binding across the seam so no worries that the pattern does not match.


Gotta love a stash.  I did have some dithering about what fabric to use as bias binding.  I have been collecting some basics from the bins at the Loft.  It has proved helpful because I had a few blacks, browns and even a khaki to choose from.  I went with a black cotton perhaps a blend ( I did not do a burn test).  The weight was a match.  None of the browns were right.