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

I am with Lory, no resolutions, only goals for 2009. 1. Work on better fitting of clothes for me. 2. Make about 1/2 of the clothes for the girls. 3. Make a 40's vintage dress and finish the brown one. 4. Try a 50's or 60's dress (step outside the box). 5. A real challenge, a 30's pattern. 6. Learn how to serge better and master more functions on my Bernina. 7. Bound buttonholes/a lightweight jacket or short coat using them. 8. Finish some ufo's and use them or give them away as presents (kids clothes) 9. Become more organized in the home and in sewing. Now for the review of finished items: Before this blog and PR and may or may not have photos: 1. Blue paisley skirt and blue/green floral skirt, using "Sew What, Skirts" as a guide: The paisley is ok, the floral needs adjustment as it is too large in the hips and looks sloppy. Both are basic A-line with elastic waists. After the blog: For me: 1. Black cherries dress from a vintage Simplicity wrap dress S39

Simplicity 3918, now OOP, is great. The pink/brown leopard is an earlier attempt, wearable, pre-serger. The gold/black one was made today, first time to really use the new serger. It took minutes to assemble. I am still a little green at the rolled hem, so the neckline has spots in the point a little heavy. I tried covering it with beads. I am not sure about them. I may take them off and try another layout of them. I am also running elastic thread by hand under the loops on the wrong side to slightly cinch the low neckline in a bit so I don't flash everyone. Overall, I liked it. I am ready to try another to refine the serger usage. Also, I am a little puffy today, but photos always make me seem heavier than I really am. Tomorrow, I will post some photos of some earlier things sewn, before the blog and a list of finished items, resolutions (mostly sewing) and ufo's I want to finish once spring returns.

Well, presents are opened, kids are playing, baby is napping. What a day. As promised, photos of the dresses: I hope you all are having a great day, now time for birthday cake in a bit when my parents come by.

We read this out loud for the 1st time tonight. We went to Mass, to see the baby's godparents and to grandparents house for some Christmas cheer. Tomorrow is presents with the kids. The dresses were a hit. The girls got lots of compliments at church, esp. the oldest, who rarely wants to dress up. Momma is through with the Santa work, so good night to all.

I didn't post yesterday as I was busy! Baby's dress is finished with the exception of a bow in the back. Oldest's lacks the finishing of the zipper and that area of lining hand tacked down plus a bow or other suitable ornamentation in back. Do not use the McCall 5742, the bodice looks nothing like the photo in the length, it comes up higher than the photo. As I mentioned before, the bodice is actually a sqaure yoke, weird sleeve caps and a lower bodice. I blended the yoke and bodice into one and only eliminated seam allowances. Overlaying the original and my copies they are the same length and shape as finished. They musta lengthened it for the model, but my oldest usually fit well in an 8. The back length is approximate to the stated number on the envelope, so it's not that it's too short. Just misrepresented in the photo. The taffeta really makes the skirt stand out, too, so be ready for that. Oh well, she loves it and said it's a princess dress.

Red dress (oldest's) is partially completed. Sleeves still need elastic and finishing, needs velvet waist band, ruffle and hem, zipper and inside finishing. You can see baby's brown dress and diaper cover, dress is waiting for hem and lining hem. It is pressed into place and pinned. I won't waste daylight time on it today. One booboo is a side seam on the skirt was a little off, and I did not compensate in the back gathers so the zipper twists a bit. I am adding a bow with tails via snaps to camoflauge. Too late to fix it now! Let's see if my mom notices, I bet she will! I am sure I will hear about it. I still think it's a good job for my 3rd zipper ever inserted, and all by hand (the zipper). DH took the oldest two to shop at the stores for my birthday present, #3 is at preschool and baby is napping. I need to take advantage of the quiet. Also, SC Bloggers, if I do not comment on your blogs, do not worry, my focus is on these dresses, housework, cooking,

I am now at this stage: Baby's dress is "put together", sleeves have elastic, needs the ribbon sash sew down, closig the lining at the waist, back closure, hem and diaper cover needs elastic. Oldest's dress is being basted together at the waist/bodice juncture, needs elastic on sleeves, waist ribbon sash, closing the lining at the waist, back closure, hems. Do we think we can do it by Wednesday? I do, it is mostly hand sewing at this point, the kids are cooperating better today than yesterday. Yesterday was BAD! Today the weather cooled off, the house is cool, so they are clustered in the den watching tv and playing. The little one is napping. Bean soup is on the stove, cooking. We will be having soup, biscuits and who knows what else. More later or tomorrow.

I am still working on this one's dress; look at the booboo... Somehow, when attaching bodice and skirt together, the taffeta folded into the seam and was stitched down. I did not discover this until the seam was trimmed... After undoing the area and unfolding it, I discovered the small slits cut into the bodice. Luckily they will be covered by velvet ribbon and lined on the inside. So, here comes fusible interfacing patches! They are now patched and are being hidden by the ribbon that is hand tacked down. I really need to get some small scissors for trimming seam allowances. I am too dangerous with shears for small work. I have parts of the oldest's dress cut out, she will be out of school for holidays after tomorrow, so I should have her around to entertain the little one and for her fittings. I should be able to pull this off, but not much else, esp. since we have to go shopping for her today. She is the last of the gifts for the kids.

Last night, I set the sleeves in by hand basting and gathered the skirt and have it pinned, ready to baste in and secure by machine. Then it is elsticating the sleeves and panties, hem and other finishing. More later...

First we have the skirt and skirt lining out of brown and black flocked taffeta and acetate lining Here are the diaper cover panties pre elastic. The bodice without the sleeves and not attached to the skirt. I also partially constructed the sleeves, need to gather and set in plus add elastic to the bottom rather that use cuffs so they are puffed. I got distracted today and had a hard time concentrating. Tomorrow we will be out most of the day and Saturday is dinner with friends and cleaning up before the inlaws come on Sunday for Mike's birthday. And we still have the oldest's dress to be cut and sewn. I am going to be so busy!

You can see the review on pattern review, the Thanksgiving dress for my oldest.

Weekend giveaway winners: Vogue: Marta Butterick:Joelle Please comment or email me for your physical address so I can mail these! On the sewing homefront, started assembling baby's taffeta dress and lining, stopped when I put to pieces together on the lining that should not have been together (all that black fabric and thread got to me!) so I may work on it some more after dinner. I did move my machines, form and current projects into the dining room, part of our reorganizing. We still have a lot more to do, but the breakfast room looks better. The 4' x 8' train landscape is now in the den, where my sons can enjoy it more. (It is a landscaped HO gauge) Now I need to bring the cutting table into the DR, cleared off though.

I really need to declutter this house, it is that bad, with the way my life has been the last 18 months. With Christmas coming, it is the perfect time to work on a small area at a time. I am working on the open cabinet under the coffee bar. For sewing today, I cut out the baby's dress out of the chocolate brown taffeta flocked with black. I am reusing the NL from before, view C with sleeves, traditional little girl dress. I also copied the McCall for my daughter, the bodice is now to be cut as one for the entire bod front, incorporating the yoke and lower bodice pieces into one for the front and the back will also be incorporated, but still cut a L & R as there is a back zip. I did not have the nerve to cut hers yet. I do have the pattern ready to go. I will post Friday winners on Saturday.

Edited: Two winners, specify your pattern, each gets one, since the sizes are so different. It has been some time since I have posted free pattern giveaway, but for the Christmas spirit and to destash some I will never use: The Vogue Basic Design is #2506 from ?, price was $2.50 US, so mid 70's? Size is 10, B32.5, H34.5, too small for me, great for crepes, jersey, ltwt wools and knits. The Butterick is #6136 from ?, price was $1.00 US. Size 18, B40, one dress, collar variations, for linens, wools, double knits. Just post about your holiday sewing and what you want to get done.

I managed to get little girl down and have sick kid halfway satisfied, so I drug the sewing machine and serger to DR table. 1. I think the serged seams on the pj pants were too loose on the tension (hey, it was my 1st try), so I machine stitched over the innermost line for stability. They need pressing and attaching the two pieces together (tomorrow). 2. Pieced together the bodice from the McCall pattern for oldest's dress. It is too much work, but need to try it on her for a fitting. I may amend the final pattern to eliminated the square yoke and integrate it into a whole bodice, because I like the sqaure neckline, but piecing the yoke, bodice & incorporating the sleeves is a PITA. 3. Serged and sewed shoulder seams and one arm ruffle onto the knit nightshirt for her as a trial serger piece. What I did to make all this happen in about 1 hr time, was to have the bodice pieces cut out 1st and ready to go, had the nighshirt cut & ready, and the pj pants ready, 3 different

Well son #1 went to the dr. this morning, had large tonsils and red ears, so he was prescribed antibiotics and also got a flu shot since he had the flu last year and is so little for his size, etc. My car was ready, so we also went and picked it up. I have managed to cut out a test for oldest's Christmas dress and will baste it together in a little bit, when the baby goes down for nap... I also managed to put together partially a pajama pant for her using the serger for practice and have a nightshirt cut out for real serger practice. It is pretty cold & sunny, low 60's daytime and 30's at night, lots of wind. I need a jacket. Also got some mailbox surprises: a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_elsdB13ycTo/STgri6v9nFI/AAAAAAAAAQc/kDR-efOlam8/s1600-h/100_1146%5B1%5D"> And a plug to these ebay sellers: The charms and yardage from Country Stittches, bought from her before, speedy service, adjusted shipping, etc. The patterns from Linda's Sew Be It, grea

Now, my 2nd oldest, who was sick last Monday with upper respiratory infection, finished his antibiotics, etc., has a fever of 102.8 tonight. He is mad he won't be going to school tomorrow as best as I can tell. Who knows what it is? His being CP and so thin, he sometimes gets sick easy, plus, like with the UR inf., he can't cough up like the rest of us, so I am hoping it is not pneumonia. He has never really had it, but I noticed he still sounded a little wheezy and was not alert this afternoon. I have motrin'd him and bathed him to bring the fever down. I don't h ave my car to take him into Victoria tomorrow, so we may be at the local doctor tomorrow, walking with his wheelchair as it is only 2 blocks away.

After having Thanksgiving at my mom's and then going to Houston (4 hrs each way) in one day with 4 kids, I was beat. I spent the rest of the weekend catching up and still am catching up. Plus the AC/heat on my car went out, some blower motor part, so we took it to the shop today. I broke out the new Janome serger today, so cool. However, it took Mike & I an hour to thread it. Once we had it, it was so quick to assemble a pair of pajama pants for my oldest. I still need to learn settings to do the different functions. A great investment for $110.00 on ebay. I also have some packages coming from ebay, a bunch of vintage patterns, some fabric. Uh, enough said. But, they will be so cool to add to the collection of things I hope to make and love to admire. I am trying to only buy in my approximate size, usually a half-size, 37 or 39 bust. One is cool, a wrap sheath from the 60's where it had 3 armholes. I want it for a dressing wrap, so the kids stop seeing me half