Adventures in Vintage Resales... fka adventures in baby-sewing

Our internet two-wire went out, so we had to buy another and spent most of the day gone, no work on my dress. Makes me think about how things were long ago, sewing and other daily life. I love reading accounts in historial fiction about making dresses by hand. Little House books are what come to mind, the hand piecing of quilts, embroidery, crochet, rag rugs, and hand sewing dresses, long dresses, with bustles, trains, etc. I wonder how we would survive in that environment? Probably not very well, given our level of "comfort". It was a big deal to own a treadle sewing machine, something that the family dragged out to take their portrait with (I saw this in a book about antique quilts on the frontier) and sent a photo back home so others could see their great fortune. In light of present day economics and everyone bandying the "D" word around, we as homemakers and sewers/crafters may have to turn our attention to practical sewing (wardrobe refashioning, hand-m...

The skirt is now attached by hand basting only. Everything also needs a good pressing. That is all we had time for today as we went to my parents' house for a visit. Now that we are home, it's bath time for kids and I am not in the mood to sew. I also attached the binding to the seam hem, but they need to be gathered and attached. A zipper is also needed, it will be my first. Everything I have completed to date has not used a zipper or I substituted snaps or buttons. The skirt was made to be skinnier, but I added some to the pattern to give it more fullness. I made it a bit too big and had to ease and gather more than the pattern called for. The darts in back were off, so I centered them between the bodice back darts, so it has the two skirt darts on each side with the back bodice dart in between them. I am not going to worry about it since the pattern is even and fairly well matched up, besides there will be a belt. I may finish the construction tomorrow, leaving th...

I ripped off the interfacing and left them soft, basted them onto the bodice, then basted the facing, then sewed all together. I think I am done for the night, unless I get a second wind to work on the skirt. I am not ready to tackle the sleeves. Besides, I haven't done much all day except take care of the baby and sew. Cutting the pattern took until 11:00 am since I couldn't decide on the pattern, I have nothing but little scraps left, so I had to do some thrifty piecing and the interfacing issue took some time to resolve. Plus I am a slow sewer. Here are a few pictures of the sleeveless bodice and tie, all needing a good press, plus the 1965 pattern. (This is one Carolyn featured on her blog and I found it on etsy. And yes, this is a size 20, bust 40. With my broad shoulders and remaining baby tummy, I need this large.) I wanted to make the full skirt, but there wasn't enough, so it's the slim skirt modified to a more A-line cut. We are breaking from the ins...

I am working on a vintage pattern that has a tie that is sewn between the bodice neck and the facing and then the tie ends knot at the neck v. It called for sew-in interfacing (yeah, right) and I used light weight fusible called Fusi-form, which seems too stiff. I am using broadcloth for the ties. My gut is to skip interfacing. What has happened is it is too stiff to baste around the curve of the neckline to be basted into place. Any suggestions?

I haven't blogged much, but have visited everyone elses and seen the wonderful things going on. Summerset has her cowboy outfit, Carolyn and Linda are always busy as well as many others. I have been working at things, just not consistently. The auction took alot out of me and had me stressed, not to mention it's held in an old unairconditioned dance hall and it was 90 deg that day. We did well, especially considering the change in weekend. A couple of complaints, but there always are. Now onto Western Days... I am almost finished with the black dress and I plan to start a fall transitional dress tomorrow, since Mike will be in Houston and only the baby will be home. I have the fabric picked out, the vintage pattern(s) picked out, so I will try to cut out and assemble the basics tomorrow as he should be gone from 4:30 am to about 10:00 pm. I am using a Moda cotton that is from the "allspice" line, I think, robin's egg blue with rose flowers, brown, olive an...

What a day, we have been tagging and cataloguing the live auction items since this morning and finished about 5pm. Tomorrow is the actual festival and auction. We have some cool items, the train, hand made quilts, preserves, homemade wine, wood and metal art, etc. I am so tired and am ready to get my kids to bed. I was stressing today, though, because I have never worked with the auction this closely and was pushed into the role of organizing this week after we had to move the feast due to the hurricane and our chairpersons had a trip scheduled and couldn't change it. The auction itself, though, is a lot of fun, with auctioneers that do cattle auctions and are so jovial, quick-witted, etc. Let's pray for a good return. More tomorrow or Monday...

Shot day was yesterday for the baby, went fine. That almost 8 month girl is 19 lbs, 2 oz and 27 inches. And she lost a pound last month when she had baby measles... Did get to go to Hobby Lobby yesterday for Simplicity patterns, Christmas taffeta flocked with black for the girls' dresses and more yarn for the baby's little jumper to be crocheted from a multi color Caron soft yarn. Today was grand central station with people dropping off items for the church auction. I had to pass the raffle on to someone else since the auction chairs are on vacation and Mike & I are heading it with a couple of others. We hope our train set goes well. Tomorrow will be busy as will the rest of the weekend, so now sewing planned and maybe no blogging entries. Now it's time for dinner. Ya'll take care, now. (Gotta get into the auction mode, a real-live country auction)

This week is festival (postponed) week and I have little time to sew. I have to take baby to the doctor today for checkup & shots, so that eats my day up. Last night, we went to dinner with friends and it was a wonderful time. Then the baby pulled an almost all-nighter. During my key sleep hours, 2 - 5 am. So we are a bit tired today. Tonight is cleanup of the church hall, so busy, but I think the dress with be suitable for use soon. Everyone has such wonderful projects out there.

did not. I just don't have many dresses right now and most are suited for Sunday wear. But, I am trying to finish one for tomorrow being our "date" night and dinner to remember Baby Joseph (see earlier post). I have taken Butterick 5216, the V necked view and amended into a dress with a lowered waistline, but having trouble figuring out what to do with the plunging neckline. I realize I will have to wear a camisole underneath, but want to end higher up and have a button placket or a lace-up, like a corset (so risque for this middle-age mom). I have picked a $1/yd Walmart special in a rayon-like polyester, black with large white flowers and vines. We shall see how the front bodice turns out. I have the skirt ready to attach and all other areas fairly finished. Any suggestions? My grandmother and aunt are at my parents, having fled the hurricane and no power in Houston. I took the dresden plate blocks and the green vintage dress I made for my daughter for my gran...

This little boy is now 5. He is my second oldest child. He has faced 2 months prematurity, a brain hemorrhage at birth, PVL or cysts on the brain causing damage, failure to thrive/gain weight, yet he is cheerful, VERY smart, and demands equal treatment from everyone to be like everyone else (or as much as his body lets him). He is in regular Pre K but gets therapies for his motor skills. He is very articulate and imaginative. We couldn't imagine our life without him, our special needs boy. He has taught us so much about perseverance and he has a lot of love to give. Happy Birthday!

On the anniversary of this date, recalling the last 7 years... 2001 - watched on TV, saw the 2nd tower fall on the news while holding my oldest daughter (we were in Houston then) 2002 - pregnant for the first time, not knowing we would lose him prematurely in 5 days 2003 - sitting in a hospital, trying not to have Andrew prematurely, watching the broadcasts; he was born the next day 2 months early 2004 - pregnant with Philip 2005 - living in a new town with all of these babies & DH 2006 - just found out I was expecting and miscarried a few weeks later 2007 - pregnant with Hayley today - watching a hurricane's status and reading the 9/11 recollections My mother thinks hurricane Carla, which was 1961, passed through the same area (freeport area) on/about Sept 11. She can't remember the exact date. September is not my favorite month, but we should not forget 9/11.

Right now, we have been glued to the internet watching the hurricane status. Early this morning, it appeared the eye would pass directly over us, coming in via San Antonio Bay and crossing over land through Yorktown/Cuero area. Now it appears to have shifted towards Matagorda Bay, Palacios area, which is headed toward Houston, and then veering northeast toward SE Oklahoma, crossing I45 north of Houston. We are still under the watch and are still predicted to have winds up to 85 mph and lots of rain... No school for the remainder of the week. Yippee for them, but 4 kids locked in the house, whoa. The festival is postponed to next week, too. I worked on the pink/brown leopard top. All went well, except for the point area where the "skirt" and bodice meet in the center. I had to rip the area out and will have to resew it straight. I also added a strip of elastic to shirr the area between the breasts as it looked so flat. Much better. Hem is still needed. I don't ...

I have worked on the leopard knit print top, I have the bodice put together, but am working on the lower "skirted" section now. I have to rip a seam as it was chewed a bit in the machine (I don't have a serger). Enlarging the pattern and smaller seam allowances seem to be enough. I don't have the motivation to work on it, but need to. I feel a little punky (I better not be getting sick) and tired (baby is up alot at night still), plus the festival is put off a week due to Ike seeming to come this way. That entails some planning, babysitting arrangements being changed, etc. plus making sure we have enough diapers, formula, food items, etc. on hand. And cleaning the yard of toys, etc. I am not scared of a hurricane, having grown up in Houston and here, we are about 80-100 miles inland, rather than 40. It's not being able to get to Walmart for the sundries that is an issue, because the local grocery is small. Getting to Walmart could be an issue as the Guada...

I have not sewed much these past few days, too busy with kids and other things. I did get 5 dresden plates done and sewn to foundation muslin blocks and 2 nine-patch blocks as alternating blocks. Oh, I also cut out a knit top from Simplicity ___, which I had cut out before from the same fabric, but the 14 was too snug. Unfortunately, I bought the pattern with 14 as the largest size. Well, I made enlargements to the pattern and added to the waist/hip area, so I will make it with a smaller seam allowance and see how it goes tomorrow. I want it for the festival for my jeans/ropers. It's a leopard print knit in pink and brown. It's been too much this weekend; pictures tomorrow.

A busy month, to be sure. We have our church's festival/auction, which is absolutely great fun (not proper english, I am sure), my son's 5th birthday and anniversary of Joseph, the baby we miscarried a year before Andrew and another miscarriage 2 yrs ago. Not to mention the usual, school, work, religious ed classes, etc. And I need to finish this dresden plate/nine patch quilt top for a lady here in town. I did work on it some after taking the baby to the doctor. She has been sick all weekend and her ears/throat appeared fine today, but had elevated wbc, so she was administed antibiotics and we go back tomorrow for another blood test. I have a pic of one dresden plate round. Eleven more to go and 13 more nine patch blocks to go... On a weird note, we had 2 vultures on the neighbor's drive, going after a squirrel. As DH would say, it's country living...

Mary/Sewfast is the winner, please comment for your address. Congratulations!