My Dress

 

My pattern is currently winging it's way to Australia from the US but you can see what it looks like from the above picture.  I love the shoulder princess style in blouses or dresses and so I snapped this pattern up as soon as I saw it.  This is my first time sewing with a vintage pattern (actually the first time I've bought a vintage pattern) and I think working with only a few pattern pieces is going to make for easier fitting adjustments than if I had picked a more complicated style.  I also had no idea where to go searching for vintage patterns however I did find this one on Etsy.   Since then I've found out about The Blue Gardenia which has an enormous amount of vintage patterns.  

For me, this is the year of being thrifty, not buying new patterns (vintage is okay), using my stash and only buying fabric if it's on sale or in a thrift store.  I have hardly any summer fabrics in my stash, there is mainly autumn/winter weight fabrics so I am on a hunt for something to make my dress with!! 

Me Next! DuBarry In Oz

I'm Steph from 3 Hours Past the Edge of the World.  I recently acquired several new-to-me vintage patterns, among them this DuBarry, circa mid-30's.

I plan to play with the top in a jersey, maybe muslin it properly, and eventually end up with the short-sleeved version in pale green silk pique.

I ordered this with Christmas money from Fashion Fabrics.  I haven't run the pique through my fingers to test for drape or heft; it may prove too sturdy to handle all those pleats.  In that case, I'll find a substitute.

I haven't sewn from a DuBarry, and 1930's sizing puzzles me at the best of times.  Generally, I work from a 32" or 34" bust and alter for a short waist and full bust.  So far my excursions into working with 30's patterns has been all over the map, hence the muslin.

For the first muslin, I'll make the bodice with no alterations for sizing.

A sixties shift dress

It looks like I might be the first to post, which is sort of appropriate as here in New Zealand we were one of the first countries to see in the new year.  It is January 1st here, so Happy New Year everybody!

I'm Sherry and my blog is pattern~scissors~cloth, and it has taken me a while but I have finally decided what to sew.  It is Butterick 2669, a basic sixties shift dress, and it's a Quick n' Easy!

I'm going to make it in some dark grey linen that I acquired at Christmastime, and do red topstitching just like the picture of View B on the pattern envelope.  I presumed the topstitching was done by machine, but it is actually hand sewn saddle stitch using embroidery floss, so I might copy that idea too.

I chose this pattern because:

• Both the pattern and fabric are stash so I don't have to spend a cent!
• I really need more summer work clothes and this will be perfect
• I've always wanted to see how a french dart that goes down to high hip level fits
• It gives me the perfect excuse to buy some red shoes (the real reason he he!)

But now I've made my decision, I have a little predicament:


A 15cm predicament, in fact!

I could shorten the dress, but I don't like showing my knobbly knees. So a little creative thinking was required and my dress is now going to have a hem band:

And I think I prefer this anyway.  Although I like the simplicity of the original, I think the extra saddle stitching adds a bit of balance.  I'm not generally a fan of placing design details only on the front and leaving the back plain - it often looks like cost-cutting and design compromise to me, what do others think?

I want this dress to be hand-washable, so I've put the linen through the washing machine on a warm machine wash to take care of any shrinkage.  First I overlocked the ends of the linen, because we all know how much that frays, and I need more fabric not less!  Because linen can stretch slightly and 'seat', I am going to line the dress with viscose lining, also preshrunk.

OK - now I'm off to cut my toile and whizz it up on the machine!

Let's Travel Back in Time Together

Come join us as we start off a new year by traveling to the past: Let's all sew vintage patterns together! This is a very informal sewalong, with few rules or restrictions, other than please use a vintage pattern published before 1995. In January we'll post our vintage pattern choices and share our muslins and the fabric we've selected. Then in February we'll share our construction adventures and post final pictures of our "new" vintage garments.

To participate in this sewalong, all you have to do is send Joanne (our moderator, matildasydney [at] yahoo.com) an email letting her know you're joining in, and a link to your blog if you have one (not necessary to participate). Or you can leave a comment here with the details. You'll get an invitation to join and this will allow you to post directly to this blog.
Need a vintage pattern? Etsy and eBay have loads of vintage patterns, and there are many excellent vintage pattern dealers online, like Lanetz Living.

C'mon, let's sew vintage together!