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

I did not realize the last post was my 200th post! Wow! I am working on dress samples, the non-wrap version of 3945 and a baby gift, a Texas A&M baby dress. I have also completed two versions of a 1980's Butterick cap sleeved (sleeveless) top. I did one in lawn and one in knit crepe. I like the knit version better. I don't do well in wovens sometimes, too stiff. The lawn is pretty and I may try another top with the leftovers, I have a yard or so left. I will probably recycle the wadder, into something for the oldest, well, it's not really a wadder, I just wasn't totally convinced. The knit one is fine and finished. I will try to photograph it later. I have some ideas for girls dresses and baby things, working on some now. I have a few ladies in town interested in purchasing for their daughters, too. This may work. More later...

After discussing some ideas with my husband, I am going to try my hand at online selling of handmade dresses for little girls. It is what I really enjoy making. I may also try a vintage pattern or two in womens sizes, but girls are way easier. We really could use the extra income, I have plenty of stash to make some one of a kind type dresses. I plan on having a few by the weekend posted.

BTW, I am closing the original etsy listings of the patterns and moving them to Ladybug Duds, I think, so I took the box out, but they are still active listings. Comment if you have interest in them.

New to be added to one of the shops, child size 3-4 apron/smock. It is made of beautiful butterfly print on a black background and has yellow bias trim, blue rick rack on the pocket divisions, it is divided into 3 sections. The back will close with snaps. Great for a birthday present for a little girl. On my dresses, I have an idea, to use S3945 wrap dress, eliminate the extensions/wrap, and make it into a basic TNT dress. It fits my bill, cap sleeved, cotton-friendly, already know it fits closely, easy to make, but I do not need a bunch of wraps, so why not eliminate the wrap and make it a traditional dress. After reading Summerset's post about converting zipper closures from button plackets and back, I think with a V neck, a side zip, this could work. After all the different vintage patterns I have cut out and pulled out, what I wanted was right in front of me the whole time!. I have a turquoise rayon poly woven from Walmart I will use to muslin it. I think there is enoug...

I have reposted and added to my etsy store. I will have two stores, myrayeretsky, for patterns and supplies and LadybugDuds for handmade items not listed on Artfire. Nearly everything I make for sale is one of a kind as I do not have volumes of fabric on hand. Please look at the two new patterns, the Western Shirt and Bra and the 1943 pajamas!

and Remember the Alamo! Sorry, couldn't help myself!

One of my favorite shows, Deadliest Catch, premiered its new season last night, wow! I just love those guys! On the sewing front, not much, working on some quilt blocks, another criss cross top for the oldest out of some remnant knit in purple and a top for me from the same, using a 1980-ish top pattern. Now, the top used dropped shoulders, pads, very 80's, but it has an option with extended shoulders with no attached sleeve, making it a cap sleeve effect. It is designed for a woven or stable knit, but I used that purple interlock, so it is drapey, which is good. I adjusted the pattern for my tummy, swayback and widened it some at those areas. I basted it together on the machine as I will serge it for the final. I think I found a good TNT! It works well. I had made a woven version once about a year ago and wasn't too sure, but tried it on again this weekend and it looked better, but I could see my faults at early garment sewing. It inspired me to try it in a knit. I wa...

Simplicity 4253, 2nd version, in cotton, fully lined and skirt lining is white broadcloth, trimmed with lace to be a petticoat. Lacey floral trim is hand-applied at the waistline. She is sitting with child #3. A photo of the back of my daughter's Easter Dress from S4253. This was from the church egg hunt this morning. I am so ready to move on to something else. I am going back to trying to find a TNT shirt pattern, a good dress for first communion for me and some quilting and other small things to get a feeling of satisfaction. First though, tax deadline in 3 days, so you may not hear much from me.

The violet bouquet dress may end up being wonderful, but not today and we have 2 days until Easter. I cannot get the bodice and waist line to match up on that circle skirt. I kept getting frustrated, so I put it aside (!) and started something else. I am making another version of S4253 in a blue paisley/floral cotton with a bodice lining out of the paisley and skirt lined with white broadcloth to look like a slip. Now this one is going together quickly. I have it put together completely in about 2 hours. Now it is finishing work, slipstitching the bodice lining down, hemmings, zipper. It should be done quickly except for we have Holy Thursday mass tonight. We have a sitter coming so we don't have to take children with us and we may have dinner out afterwards. I still plan on fininshing the violet bouquet vintage dress for her and to enter in the PR vintage pattern contest. My floral dress is pretty much done and looks fine, just not on me. I am kind of bloated now on top...

With the dress I have been making for myself, there is nothing wrong with the dress, and it does fit, I am not happy with myself and the way it looks on me. I guess, everyday, I wear looser clothes and when I put something fitted on, I am uncomfortable with the look. This puts me in a weird mood. I hacked off a skirt from a RTW dress from some years back, put on a knit waistband, having trouble with that looking right. I am not sure how to progress...

I think the length is going to be ok. I tried the bodice on her and put the skirt at the appropriate alignment, looks close enough, just below the knee. On my Fuji Flower dress, I am marking the hem and getting ready to baste bodice to skirt. I already made the buttonholes, but need to fix them by hand, the Bernina acts up a bit on buttonholes. Of course, it could be operator-error! The sleeves also need completion.

The violet bouquet dress is coming together nicely, except (!) as I forgot on little girl vintage patterns, it may be a bit short from the waist down. Look at the pattern illustrations, please. I need to remember this! It appears to be at or above knee length. She likes them right below the knee. I utilized Summerset's preferred method of bias facing the circular hem, so I did not use up the 3" hem th pattern calls for. I will finalize that once the bodice and skirt are basted together for a fitting. I may have to insert a midriff to give length at the waist to drop the skirt down a bit. That would give me a good place to insert sash ties, too. I am doing hand work now, of tacking facings, cleaning up the inside, etc. I have the bodice otherwise completed, even buttonholes sewn in and the skirt and skirt lining are basted together, the lining has a lace trimmed hem and the facing is on the skirt and pinned in place pending a fitting. I have worked fast on this one, ...

Now that the pink plisse dress is done and there are some more in other combinations to come, but not now. Easter is a week away and I need to finish my Fuji dress and something for the oldest daughter. The baby has a variety of hand-me-downs from the oldest to choose from that are in excellent shape, so no worry there. The boys already have their clothes, but I need to finish mine and C's. C's will be a cotton dress of violet bouquets on a watercolor background with a hint of iridescence. It is a 1948-ish pattern from Simplicity, cap sleeve with a circle skirt and will have a lining on the skirt and is underlined on the bodice, using the same technique learned from Summerset on her skirt. I do want the skirt lining separate, not underlined, to act as a petticoat. I hope it will look good. I was going to line the skirt on mine, but have decided not to as I have lost enough weight to use one of my slips now. I couldn't wear them before as they were too tight and cou...

Completed dress in Size 8 of S4253 given to me in a drawing from Pins and Needles (Summerset). We had Stations of the Cross presented by the First Communion candidates last night, so I photographed her by a clump of bluebonnets in the parking lot. I will also post a PR review.

Well, just needs a hook/eye at the back neckline. Ready for DD to wear tonight to services. The first communion class is presenting the stations of the cross tonight. I will post a picture later of her wearing it. This was S4253, no particular view, left off the pockets as they were too time-consuming. Since I did not have enough of the daisy fabric and had bias bound the armholes and neckline with a coordinating gingham plisse, I also added a band of the gingham to complete the length of the skirt, I should have made it about 1-2" longer, but this will be ok for this year. To ease the transition of the two fabrics at the bottom, I added medium white rickrack and also put a strip at the bottom hem so I could take the smallest hem possible. Now, back to my dress and cut out her Easter dress. Nothing like waiting until the last minute...