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

Photos of my almost complete Christmas dress from S3237 from 1950, can be seen in the Vintage Pattern wikipedia http://vintagepatterns.wikia.com/wiki/Simplicity_3237 since my copy's envelope is in awful shape. It's modeled after the blue one, but I chose a drapey woven, bought a few years ago, it may be rayon blend, has slight stretch, with superimposed "flocked" abstract flowers. You can see where I chose to embellish the central bodice with gunmetal shade bugle and seed beads, following the flower lines. I bought a stretch elastic belt in black, the only one I could find, so hopefully it works. I have some high pumps with a mary jane strap, so hopefully it will all work. I lined the bodice with the anti-cling poly stuff from Hancocks, handsewing the two together at the waist seam. I had to take a stab at easing it in at the gathers since I opted not to do running stitches on it, thought it might be too thin to do it. All I lack is the zipper and hem.

it is huge. I used a 14, that has the best measurements for me, but I could have gone down 2 sizes, I think. I want to make it again trying that. As you can see, I bias tape finished the facings, topstitched them down and finished the seams. Even the added shoulder pads are covered. I love the finished product, but it is really big. I may see if I can find a loving home for it. At least it's not a wadder.

A third UFO out of the way, S4138 skirt, in a brick red crepey rayon blend from Hancock's. Laugh all you want, this one lacked pulling the finishing threads! Put it aside & forgot. I will try to wear it tomorrow to church.

This summer I bought a bit of Citrus Paisley Mesh from Ann (Gorgeous Fabrics) and cut out my B3070 TNT top, two layers as she recommends. Then I sewed the neckline and slightly stretched it out (oops!). I put it aside. It sat. Tonight with Mike & the oldest at the local football game, I worked on it again. I put a binding strip from the fabric. It puffed. I looked at it again. I am leaving the puffiness. Instead I will work with it and add some embellishments there to utilize the puffs. Tomorrow I will get batteries for the camera and take some pictures. BTW, that mesh is so pretty, the paisley in lime green and yellow. I know it's summery, but we live in So Texas, it's usually warm here.

Free pattern, stash busting, a 1967 (good year) McCall, #8865, size 18, bust 38, a great little A line dress with an unusual neckline. Sort of funnelled with a button near the neck to appear like the center panel is buttoned down at the neck. Kind of looks like some of the Vogues from recent issues. Enter your name by posting a comment (make sure there is an email or blog link) about how you would make this dress and post a comment on your blog about the giveaway. I will draw and post by Monday morning. I am finishing 2 tops for me right now, had some dress disappointments and also working on other items. I will try to post one top later as I plan on using it tonight.

I have been reading others histories and decided to join in. I gave a version on Pins and Needles, but not here. My mother sewed for me, my grandmother sewed alot in her day, usually making her own pattern from RTW in downtown Houston shop windows, making notes and a sketch. I resisted learning how to machine sew, absolutely would not do it. I hand-sewed doll things about 8, learned to crochet and embroider from my grandmother. I fell in love with cross-stitch in my teens and did that for years, now my eyes are too strained to do much with it. I cross-stitched through two pregnancies on bed rest. Fast forward to 2007. I was pregnant again after a recent miscarriage (I have had 3 lost, we have 4 living children, oldest is adopted). At the end of the first trimester in Jan 07, I had an ultrasound, no heartbeat. I was devastated again. I needed something to concentrate on, so I decided to learn patchwork, log cabin blocks, and got a 2nd hand machine from one of the church ladies...

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.

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...

I managed to get the front seam seamed, the arm facings on and skirt to bodice. Still need to add bias tape to enclose the waist seam (I probably did this backwards and should have added this earlier!) I have the neck binding pinned on, but had to press it to stretch it on the neck curves, so I was letting it rest pinned in place. Once I do these, I can try it on comfortably and hem it. I have learned hand basting is very efficient over machine basting for removing stitches if necessary as well as I can control easing a little better. There is one area in the back where a bit pleated instead of easing, but when I topstich the binding into place, I am going to manipulate it a bit to ease it out.

A 1945 Simplicity dress, the brown dress on the right, #1541. The bodice and yoke was not easy, I had to hand baste the entire thing, it was kind of like set in seams with quilting the 8 pointed stars, but weirder. It does look cool, and neat inside, as I zigzagged the seams over the straight stitch, trimmed and pressed (my serger substitute). I cut this out weeks ago, but thought today was fitting since it is election day and a patriotic duty (if you recall, WWII ended in '45). A cute swing dress with a v neck... One of my favorite eras! The dress is made of "calcutta" cloth from Joann's and Hancocks; I had 2 yds of brown from the mini-wardrobe I never finished and some beige leftover from maternity pants I could never get to fit. I had barely enough dark brown to do this, this came from a Joann's in San Antonio that is now closed, but I was determined! I wanted to duplicate the cover dress in something easy-care but not use eyelet on the yoke as the model...

No sewing today, just some reorganizing in the breakfast room of what is on the cutting table, it was a mess... Tomorrow is voting day. I, for one, do not support Obama. This is my choice according to my beliefs, esp. concerning abortion and other life issues, but I do not address controversial issues often here because this is focused on sewing and other crafts, plus family happenings. I do respect other opinions, but do not believe this is what we as a country need. I will leave it at that. Next up is a Simplicity dress #2929, I think. I have a poly charmeuse ready for it. I also have another NL jumper for the baby cut out and have corduroy for my oldest to make another jumper, this time an 80's pattern that has a slightly dropped waist (remember those?) like basque style. I may amend that some, but it's a stash pattern and handy. These will be Thanksgiving dresses for us. After that will be Christmas dresses. The baby's will be the same NL with sleeves, the old...

I haven't posted all week because the blue dress is vexing me so. It is all basted together, (waist, sleeves) and, even though not pressed and crooked on the dressform, looks fine. Put it on and it fits fairly well. Need to adjust back waist to take up for a bit of swayback, take more off hem to keep it around the knees and curve the bust darts inward a bit. I also think the sleeve hem could be shortened a bit. It's that tie collar, though. I am considering taking it all out and going collar-less. It is too much on my bodice against my face. I need some suggestions. Help!

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 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...

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...

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...