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

OK, here are the dresses. The older one's was Simplicity 3329, no date, probably late 1950's or early 1960's. There is no reference to in on the internet to link a photo and I am not in a position to photograph it right now. The dress picture is actually copied from facebook from Easter. It goes into a v-backed neck and should have a bow at the CB which I left off. The little one's was a 1940's mail order pinafore style, not even sure where the pattern is at the moment. Both are from cotton voile pindotted swiss with broadcloth accents/binding. Both are fully lined. I completed the older one's over 3 days of working and the inside is barely finished off, as quickly as I could do it. She would only wear it once or twice anyways, so I decided not to waste much time on it. The little one's is better finished as she still wears dresses at the drop of the hat. These were fun to make, I wish I had more of the fabric for a top for me. It is so watercol...

First up we have girls Easter dress fabric, lining and trim fabric. A swiss dot voile in a floral with lining in the lightblue and trim in purple. This I shopped for today after getting Fabric.com's lawn that had 4" flowers, not suitable for a little girl. This is the littlest one's outfit top in progress, I hope to finish later this week. A cute cotton I bought today off the 2.95 table, I love those hexagons. This is a sale linen-look fabric, drapey, tan and black. All in all, pretty good pickings at Hancock's today. Now to get the pipe under the house fixed... It was spraying water along the underside of the house and there's a little lake under there. These pipes are old and probably just corroded.

First a custom made crochet hook organizer ordered at a craft show For the baby's jumper - navy blue baby cord with a lining and trim from cotton, Dena Designs, bought at the LQS, Seams Like Home. I also have covered buttons from a vintage kit and vintage lace on the hem.

I made View A, for the littlest one, in a size 1, in a sandwashed twill that was sitting in the UFO pile. I trimmed it in a leopard cotton print and lace from my mother's stash, about as old as me and the pattern, 1967. Went together nicely, but the collar curls up a bit. She rocked the look with her tights, bloomers and new shoes!

I pulled out vintage 1970's S6685 for the little girl and some vintage seersicker/plisse my mom had given me this weekend. I had just enough for the pajamas. It went together in a couple of hours, with handsewing the binding and making it from some cotton. I even bound the hem of the pants and opted for no wrist elastic. I cut out red gingham to work on a 2nd pair tonight. Somehow, I have 3 copies of this pattern, all size 1. I am keeping one, giving one to a sewing friend who has a little girl a year younger than mine and doing a giveaway for the 3rd. Post for a chance and become a follower on the sidebar while you are at it for a 2nd chance. We are not sophisticated over here, so if you are entering a 2nd time for becoming a follower, please tell me in the comments. I will draw Sunday evening and post on Monday, Oct 11.

Yesterday we were in Houston for the Cowboys/Texans game - lots of fun in one day, since we went to the game, visited with family and went to dinner at my favorite restaurant, Carabbas on Kirby. The kids were with a sitter back home, so we had a rare date day. Mike's brother is a drummer on the Texans band, so we had free tickets, it was a great experience. The patchwork skirt I made for little girl is done, but would not fit over her hips, so modification is needed. The pattern is on Moda Bake shop as little girl's patchwork skirt, but I had to use jelly strips rather than charms. We came home to fall winds and woke up to fall temps :)

Little one got a pillowcase dress, bloomers and bow with Sponge Bob fabric, she's happy. When she saw it, she started pulling her clothes off to put the dress on. She's happy, I'm happy.

Cut out, sewed and finished pajama shorts for my oldest son today in an hour. That is a record for me, considering the interruptions. Made from 1/2 yd or so remnant of race car cotton, simple elastic waist in a basic pant pattern, about a size 3 (he is that skinny at 6), but lengthened some for him. He's happy, I'm happy. I have other things to work on, but needed a quick finish to get some confidence. I have been thinking about the back wrap dress and like the ideas given, just need some time to finish, but have had Hayley home sick, and not really feeling great myself. Actually, I may remuslin the upper dress with a FBA adjustment and enlarging the sleeve like the previous owner did just to see if that is what is really needed. When I get a moment to actually concentrate...

McCall's 5616, bought either last summer or summer before, for the oldest. I wanted her to have a big girl-styled dress without being too grown-up. Used a cotton for the body and black broadcloth for yoke and hem band. Made size 10. Only thing is I am having a heck of a time with zippers right now, shifting. I had to put this in twice. I did lapped as it was white and there are so many colors involved. It called for 16", but it only made it to the bottom of the yoke, so I stopped it there and have only closed the yoke back with hook and eye. Her hair is long, no one will notice. I hope it fits, it should as I just used a McCalls 10 for Easter. I never tried it on her after I put the bodice together. My mistake. She got some cute slides in white last night that should work well with this. If it fits her well, I may make another one in plisse or seersucker. She needs 3 summer dresses for church so that she can rotate them. I never make more than that - they will n...

OK, I have been working on special orders, those are almost done, and the dresses for the girls. After putting most of the older girl's dress together, it is TOO. MUCH. GREEN. I love green, but whoa! So, all morning long, ideas percolated in the brain. I still needed to cut out the baby's dress (yeah, I know Christmas eve is 4 days away!). So, plan B has commenced. I have cut up a stretch velvet black dress I used to wear, it still looked new. That is my bodice for the two. I am putting the baby's together now. I think I will like this better and no lining for the bodice being stretch velvet. I will cut bias facings or shaped facings and be done with it. Now her sleeves are little cap sleeves that are lined, that's ok. Makes getting the sleeves in easy, using a knit. I need to make sure the waist area is interfaced with strips though, because the taffeta is kinda heavy. More later!

none, except for cutting out a jumper for the oldest and a dress for the baby. The jumper is a vintage size 8, she is really a 10 now. I took a 10 bodice and transferred the details to the 8 jumper bodice, made the skirt two pieces instead of 6 gore since I am using a red and black check, to cut down on seam matching. I also cut out the broadcloth lining. I added 2.5" to the skirt length to be sure I cut enough. The old jumper, out of denim is in last fall's posts, and barely fits her, cannot zip it up, so hopefully going to the size 10 should be enough. I can also use less SA and lessen the darts. The baby's is an OOP McCalls in the check also with black collar, two pleats in the front and back and ends about midway with bows on the front where the pleats end. I picked this one based on a Patrones dress from an issue I got from Paco (thanks!). The pattern is about identical, so hopefully it works for her. I am venturing into toddler sizes now for her. A new exp...

A UFO that is! This one I started months back, a Jalie Criss Cross in size 8 for my daughter. My camera has no batteries, so I will describe it instead. It is from a poly lycra remnant from the bin at Walmart, under $1 for the remnant. I zigzagged-topstitched the criss cross hems and bottom hem. Used the flutter sleeves. It is dark purple. She should love it, hope it still fits. This pattern is wonderful for kids and women. It has a maternity/nursing option, too.

I am trying to steal a minute here and there to finish some outfits for the baby before she starts preschool. One dress/panty set is from a 1960-ish Butterick. I decided to finish the armholes with bias strips. I am convinced to always make kids clothes flat. It was hell to sew in those strips on the machine. And that was the attaching seam. I plan on folding under and finishing by hand, but on a little size, no way I am doing that again. A lesson learned... I also have more of the tie shoulder dresses to finish, one in pink camo and one in pink swirl. Plus some items for school for the oldest and oldest boy...

Leopard print appliqued onesie and matching diaper cover/bloomer to be added to etsy/artfire stores. These are for Baby H, but can be duplicated in typical onesie sizes: 0-3 mos, 3-6 mos, 6-9 mos, 12 mos, 18 mos. I think that is the highest I can find in the stores for onesies to work with. After that it would be a t-shirt. I think they will be $20.00 for the set, which would be a great baby gift. I can make matching receiving blanket with white flannel and appliques ($12.00) and burp pads ($12.00 for 2). Otherwise, working on multiple things at once. I have started a wardrobe for Daughter #1, summer things, and have other items almost finished. The usual around here...

Popped by the local shop for an extra piece of fabric for a shirt for daughter #1 to make the facings. I didn't have enough, imagine that! She was closed today, many shops out here are closed on Mondays if they are open Saturday and are sole-owners. But she was inside and let me in. It was worth it since a $3-4 sale turned into $19 for her. Sarah is the owner and is a great gal. She takes online orders and has a cute selection.

I found a cute little top that can be really cool. I made it for my oldest using 2 fat quarters for the bodice/sleeve ruffles and 1 fat quarter for the straps. I found the material at Seams Like Home here in our little town. When I told Sarah what I was making with them and how I was trying to make little girls things to sell, she said she would showcase something in the shop. I told her it would have to be made from fabric bought there, hence, a shirt would be great since I could make it from fats. I will go back next week, though and buy some yardage to make a dress to also showcase. I think in thanks I need to plug her generosity on this blog. Her store is http://www.alittlefabricstore.com and she has stock listed online for sale. They are very pleasant there. Check her out! Meanwhile, I will try to photograph the shirt on the oldest tomorrow as she is using it then. I would say it could be duplicated, so I will also list it in my shop.

Another one down, I have so many to go and no motivation to finish them at times. A pair of PJ pants for the oldest, complete with ruffled eyelet lace to complete the girly camo look. I used her B4176 pants pattern, her TNT. When she outgrows the 8, we will have to find another with similar lines. This was using pink/green quilting cotton from the remnant bin at Walmart and stash eyelet from the resale shop, so they were inexpensive. I was going to take a photo of her wearing them after I select a tshirt and applique with the scraps to make a set. She is in need of lightweight spring pajamas. Everything is either very worn or outgrown. Today I have a relatively quiet day ahead, so I plan on some progress on SOMETHING and on cleaning up the messy work area. Maybe going ahead and cutting out some of the projects that are upcoming. School spring pictures are in two weeks, but I am planning on her wearing her green plisse dress from last summer and the baby wearing a seersucker d...

Now, Mike had a stomach bug today. He looked terrible and felt bad, so he has been on the couch most of the day. I worked on another NL jumper for the baby, in a pink/green patchwork printed cotton. She needs it for church this Sunday. We are sitting up front as the first communicants are sitting up front this weekend as it is first reconciliation that day. So, they will all be dressed nicer than usual. I am also thinking ahead about a dress for me, which I have no idea if it will come to fruition before Sunday. I am also keeping on the radar Easter dresses and the oldest's first communion dress. I have a lot to work on and trying to finish UFO's or reuse them as something else (baby rompers, etc., if it's cotton) if I have no hope of finishing them. I have to go & do baths now before two of them start a war.

Today Baby H turns 1! It was a freezing cold night last year when I went to the hospital at 3am after breaking my water. The deck was icing from the drizzle. On the 45 minute drive through the country, we saw every deer in the county by the sides of the road. Now my baby turns a year old. And we are not pregnant, which was bittersweet as we were kinda gearing ourselves up for another, but really do have a full house with 4 and one with CP. But we would have managed and been fine. But it was not meant to be, which is also ok. Today was spent cleaning carpets and sewing a pair of pajama pants recycled from receiving blankets for the baby. I used B4433, which may be OOP. I was lucky enough to have 2 matching blankets as one would not have been enough. These have been around since the oldest child and were still in great shape, just washed soft. I finished them rather quickly despite many interruptions from the kids. I had to challenge myself for what should have been 1-2-3 and...

I have been sewing some, not for me, though. I am still working on (at the same time), the baby gifts (the package keeps growing), the Urban Indigo charms quilt blocks, a wall hanging for Valentines day and pants for the oldest. I am using a poly/cotton twill from Fabric.com. It seems like it will be wrinkle-free or almost. It has been easy to sew, too. I am using bias tape to finish the pocket seam allowance to learn a new finishing skill and to weight the pockets down a bit. I am using the basic Butterick pattern I always use for her. She always needs new pants for school and she is really rough on the clothes. She is down to two pairs of jeans and her fleece ones are getting too short. She plays with the boys like a boy and always looks kind of dusty when she gets home. I never know how she will look when she gets off the bus. The wallhanging is cool, from "Bits and Pieces", a quilting book about mini-quilts, emphasizing hand piecing and hand quilting. I will ...